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General Editor 

LINDSAY TODD DAMON 

Professor of English, Brown University 


ADDISON AND STEELE —Sir Roger de Coverley Papers — Abbott 
ADDISON AND STEELE —Selections from The Taller and_The Spec¬ 
tator — Abbott 

AUSTEN —Pride and Prejudice — Ward 
BROWNING —Selected Poems — Reynolds 
Builders of Democracy— Greenlaw 

BUNYAN —The Pilgrim's Progress — Latham , 

BURKE —Speech on Conciliation with Collateral Readings — Ward 
BURNS —Selected Poems \ 

CARLYLE —Essay on Burns / 1 vol.—M arsh 
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DEFOE —Robinson Crusoe — Hastings 
Democracy Today— Gaijss 

DE QUINCEY— The Flight of a Tartar Tribe — French 
DE QUINCEY —Joan of Arc and Selections ■— Moody 
DICKENS— A Christmas Carol, etc.— Broadus 
DICKENS— A Tale of Two Cities — Baldwin 
DICKENS —David Copper field— Baldwin 
DRYDEN —Palamon and Arcile — Cook 
ELIOT, GEORGE —Silas Marner — Hancock 
ELIOT, GEORGE— The Mill on the Floss — Ward 
EMERSON —Essays and Addresses — Heydrick 

English Poems— From Pope, Gray, Goldsmith, Coleridge, Byron, 
Macaulay, Arnold, and others — Scudder 
English Popular Ballads— HART 
Essays— English and American — Alden 
Familiar Letters, English and American — Greenlaw 
FRANKLIN— Autobiography — Griffin 
French Short Stories— Schweikert 
GASKELL (Mrs.)— Cranford — Hancock 
GOLDSMITH— The Vicar of Wakefield — Morton 
HAWTHORNE— The House of the Seven Gables — Herrick 
HAWTHORNE— Twice-Told Tales — Herrick and Bruere 
HUGHES— Tom Brown’s School Days — de Mille 
IRVING— Life of Goldsmith — Krapp 
IRVING— The Sketch Book— Krapp 





®f )t Hake €ngltef) Classics?—continue* 


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LAMB— Essays of Elia — Benedict 

LONGFELLOW— Narrative Poems — Powell 

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SHAKSPERE —The Neilson Edition —Edited by W. A. Neilson, 


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Hamlet 
Henry V 
Julius Caesar 


Macbeth 

Midsummer-Night's Dream 
Romeo and Juliet 
The Tempest 
Twelfth Night 

SHAKSPERE —The Merchant of Venice — Lovett 
SOUTHEY —Life of Nelson — Westcott 

STEVENSON —Inland Voyage and Travels with a Donkey —Leonard 

STEVENSON— Kidnapped — Leonard 

STEVENSON —Treasure Island — Broadtjs 

TENNYSON —Selected Poems — Reynolds 

TENNYSON —The Princess — Copeland 

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THACKERAY —Henry Esmond — Phelps 

THOREAU— Walden — B OWM a n 

Three American Poems —The Raven, Snow-Bound, Miles Standlsh- 
Greever 

Types of the Short Story —Heydrick 

VIRGIL — Aeneid —Allinson and Allinson 

Washington, Webster, Lincoln, Selections from—DENNEY 


SCOTT, FORESMAN AND COMPANY 

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> 


REVISED EDITION WITH HELPS TO STUDY 


SOUTHEY’S 

LIFE OF NELSON 

• « 


/ 


EDITED FOR SCHOOL USE 

BY 

ALLAN F. WESTCOTT 

» 4 

INSTRUCTOR IN ENGLISH, UNITED STATES NAVAL ACADEMY 



SCOTT, FOPESMAN AND COMPANY 

CHICAGO ATLANTA NEW YORK 











33 A 


,N 4- Si 

ms 


Copyright, 1916, 1923, by 

» .• • ' \r-if * 

Scott, Foresman and Company 


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OCT -1 *23 


ROBERT O. LAW COMPANY 
EDITION BOOK MANUFACTURERS 
CHICAGO, U. S. A. 

©C1A760?88 

I 


CONTENTS 


PAGE 

Introduction.5 

Biographical Note.23 

Text 

Chapter I. Nelson’s Birth and Boyhood—He is entered on 
board the Baisonnable —Goes to the West Indies in a Mer¬ 
chant-ship; then serves in the Triumph —He sails in Cap¬ 
tain Phipps’ Voyage of Discovery—Goes to the East 
Indies in the Seahorse, and returns in ill health—Serves 
as acting Lieutenant in the Worcester, and is made Lieu¬ 
tenant into the Lowestoffe, Commander into the Badger 
Brig, and Post into the Hinchinbrooh —Expedition against 
the Spanish Main—Sent to the North Seas in the Albe¬ 
marle —Services during the American War . . .25 

Chapter IT. Nelson goes to France during the peace—Re¬ 
appointed to the Boreas, and stationed at the Leeward 
Islands—His firm conduct concerning the American inter¬ 
lopers and the contractors—The West Indies—Marries and 
returns to England—Is on the point of quitting the serv¬ 
ice in disgust—Manner of life while unemployed—Ap¬ 
pointed to the Agamemnon on the breaking out of the 
war of the French Revolution . . . . .57 

Chapter III. The Agamemnon sent to the Mediterranean— 
Commencement of Nelson’s acquaintance with Sir W. 
Hamilton—He is sent to Corsica, to co-operate with Paoli 
—State of affairs in that island—Nelson undertakes the 
siege of Bastia, and reduces it—Takes a distinguished 
part in the siege of Calvi, where he loses an eye—Admiral 
Hotham’s action—The Agamemnon ordered to Genoa to 
co-operate with the Austrian and Sardinian forces—Gross 
misconduct of the Austrian General . . . .80 

Chapter IV. Sir J. Jervis takes the command—Genoa joins 
the French—Bonaparte begins his career—Evacuation of 
Corsica—Nelson hoists his broad pendant m the Minerve — 

3 





4 


Contents 


PAGE 

Action with the Sabina —Battle off Cape St. Vincent— 
Nelson commands the inner squadron at the blockade of 
Cadiz—Boat action in the Bay of Cadiz—Expedition 
against Teneriffe—Nelson loses an arm—His sufferings 
in England, and recovery ...... 122 

Chapter V. Nelson rejoins Earl St. Vincent in the Vanguard 
—Sails in pursuit of the French to Egypt—Returns to 
Sicily, and sails again to Egypt—Battle of the Nile . 154 

Chapter VT. Nelson returns to Naples—State of that Court 
and Kingdom—General Mack—The French approach Na¬ 
ples—Flight of the Royal Family—Successes of the Allies 
in Italy—Transactions in the Bay of Naples—Expulsion 
of the French from the Neapolitan and Roman States— 
Nelson is made Duke of Bronte—He leaves the Mediter¬ 
ranean and returns to England. .... 189 

Chapter VII. Nelson separates himself from his wife— 
Northern Confederacy—He goes to the Baltic under Sir 
Hyde Parker—Battle of Copenhagen, and subsequent Ne¬ 
gotiation—Nelson is made a Viscount .... 242 

Chapter VIII. Sir Hyde Parker is recalled, and Nelson ap¬ 
pointed Commander—He goes to Revel—Settlement of 
Affairs in the Baltic—Unsuccessful Attempt upon the 
Flotilla at Boulogne—Peace of Amiens—Nelson takes the 
Command in the Mediterranean on the Renewal of the 
War—Escape of the Toulon Fleet—Nelson chases them to 
the West Indies and back—Delivers up his Squadron to 
Admiral Cornwallis, and lands in England . . . 281 

Chapter IX. Sir Robert Calder falls in with the combined 
Fleets—They form a Junction with the Ferrol Squadron, 
and get into'Cadiz—Nelson is reappointed to the Com¬ 
mand—Battle of Trafalgar—Victory, and Death of Nel¬ 


son .......... 329 

Glossary op Nautical Terms ...... 362 

Appendix .367 

MAPS 

The Mediterranean . . . . . . . .81 

Battle of Cape St. Vincent ...... 135 

Battle of the Nile ........ 172 

Battle of Copenhagen ....... 259 

Battle of Trafalgar . ... 349 






INTRODUCTION 


Southey’s Life of Nelson has a two-fold interest and 
value: as one of the best short biographies in the lan¬ 
guage, by a master of prose style; and as the classic 
life of one of the greatest figures in naval warfare. 
The place in literature of its author, Robert Southey, 
is less easy to define. In a life devoted entirely to lit¬ 
erary pursuits, he wrote voluminously and in many 
fields, including poetry, history, biography, and liter¬ 
ary criticism. His work, though always distinguished, 
was rarely of a quality to give it permanence; and he 
is remembered today chiefly by his biographies and a 
few shorter poems. In the history of literature, never¬ 
theless, he is a figure of real importance, as a member 
of the Lake School of poetry, an influential critic and 
political writer, and a friend or acquaintance of most 
of the literary men of his time. His sterling qualities 
of character have also helped to give him a place not 
quite merited by his writings. 

Southey was born in Bristol, England, August 12, 
1774, the son of a linen-draper. Of his early life we 
have a pleasant picture from his own pen, its details 
selected and colored a little, perhaps, to harmonize with 
his later career. Until his sixth year, he spent much 
of his time at Bath under the care of a maiden aunt, 
who was devoted to the theater, and in whose company 
he learned to enjoy, at a very early age it would 

5 


6 


Introduction 


seem, the pleasures of poetry and the stage. At eight 
he had explored Shakspere and Beaumont and Fletcher. 
Thence he passed to Tasso’s Jerusalem Delivered, Or¬ 
lando Furioso, and The Faerie Queene; and at twelve 
he was essaying dramas and epics of his own. After 
four years at Westminster School, 1788-1792, well spent 
in study and association with hoys who remained his 
life-long friends, he left, to quote his own words, “in 
a perilous state—a heart full of poetry and feeling, a 
head full of Rousseau and Werther, and my religious 
principles shaken by Gibbon.” 1 

In the summer of 1793, at the end of his first year 
at Balliol College, Oxford, he was at work sorting and 
transcribing his poetic effusions—“10,000 verses burnt 
and lost, the same number preserved, and 15,000 worth¬ 
less.” If steadfast devotion and a fluent pen were to 
be of any avail, the young poet might feel assured of 
a safe place on Parnassus. To this summer belongs 
also his Joan of Arc, an epic in twelve books, romantic 
and chivalrous, a tribute to the ideals of revolutionary 
France. 

One may easily understand the immediate friendship 
that sprang up between the author of Joan and the 
Cambridge student, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, who met 
him at Oxford in June of 1794. Pantisocracy—“equal 
government for all”—and Aspheterism—“the generali¬ 
zation of individual property”—were terms they in¬ 
vented to express their common ideals. “This Panti- 
socratic scheme,” writes Southey, “has given me new 
hope, new energy; all the faculties of my mind are 
dilated.” There is no more characteristic episode in 

1. Dowden’s Life of Southey, English Mon of Letters Series, p. 23. 


Introduction 


i 


the rise of early nineteenth century romanticism than 
that of Coleridge, Southey, and their Bristol friends 
of both sexes planning a New Utopia on the banks of 
the Susquehanna, a region selected not only for the 
poetry of the name but also “for its excessive beauty, 
and security from hostile Indians.” Unfortunately, 
the difficulty of raising the £150 deemed necessary even 
for a beginning of the venture remained insuperable, 
especially since Southey’s aunt, on hearing of the proj¬ 
ect, promptly turned him out of doors. During the 
following winter, the two poets lived together in Bristol 
lodgings, gaining a living by their poetry and by pub¬ 
lic lectures—Coleridge speaking on “A Comparative 
View of the English and the French Revolutions” and 
“Revealed Religion,” Southey on “The Course of 
European History from Solon and Lycurgus to the 
American War.” 

The vision of a Pantisocratic community faded; and 
in the autumn of 1795, at the invitation and expense 
of an uncle resident in Lisbon, Southey departed for 
six months of travel and study in Portugal and Spain. 
Before he left he married Edith Fricker, a sister to the 
wife of Coleridge, borrowing money to meet the expense 
of ring and fees. No similar responsibility, perhaps, 
was ever more rashly undertaken; or, it should be added, 
more faithfully and happily sustained. The effect of 
this journey abroad, and of a second longer one in his 
wife’s company in 1800-1801, was to enlarge the poet’s 
horizon by foreign scenes and characters, and to leave 
him with a life-long interest in the history and literature 
of the Spanish Peninsula. * 

During the period between his first and second for- 




8 


Introduction 


eign visits, Southey lived for a time in the neighbor¬ 
hood of Bristol, and later in London, attempting in 
vain the studies of medicine and law. From his friend 
Wynn he received in 1798 an annuity of £160, retained 
until the latter’s marriage in 1807; and to this was 
added the income from his writings. Joan of Arc 
brought £50; a volume of miscellaneous poems, £100; 
and he was busy with letters of travel and articles 
for magazines. In 1803, after a short and uncon¬ 
genial service as private secretary to the Chancellor of 
the Exchequer for Ireland, he took his books and fam¬ 
ily to share the home of Coleridge at Greta Hall, Kes¬ 
wick, in the lake district of northern England. “A 
library and a nursery,” he remarked, “ought to be 
stationary.” Here, aside from short journeys to Edin¬ 
burgh, London, and the Continent, he spent the rest of 
his life. 

“I have five children,” wrote Southey in 1809, “three 
of them at home, and two under my mother’s care in 
Heaven.” 1 2 Of the two boys, only the younger, Cuth- 
bert, lived to maturity. To his own family were added 
the wife and three children of Coleridge, who under 
the influence of ill-health and opium had drifted away 
from home ties and did not return to Keswick after 
1809. Southey took up this added burden cheerfully, 
rejoicing, indeed, in the opportunity, as well as neces¬ 
sity, of devoting all his energies to the occupations that 
were his chief pleasures in life,— 

“Hero I possessed—what more should I require— 

Books, children, leisure ... all my heart’s desire.” 1 

1. Dowden’s Life of Southey, p. 02. 

2. The Poet's Pilgrimage to Waterloo. 


Introduction 


9 


The qualities of liis character, if not the limitations of 
his genius, are shown by his clear sense of everyday 
responsibilities. “A poet,” he said, “might wait for 
posthumous fame; but a poet’s children cannot wait for 
posthumous bread and cheese.” 

The study on the second floor of Greta Hall, its 
windows looking out over Keswick Lake to the moun¬ 
tains beyond, was soon filled to overflowing with manu¬ 
scripts and books, at first 4,000, in the end more than 
14,000 volumes—all of them read, the more useful ones 
annotated, their contents extracted or summarized, and 
the results stowed away in packets for future use. 
Coleridge once said that he could never think of Southey 
without seeing him using or mending a pen. Even 
during his daily w r alks, it was his custom to carry a 
book open before him. His capacity for work was 
extraordinary, and he was expert and methodical in all 
details of the literary craft. His rest was gained chiefly 
by shifting from one task to another. “And now, Gros- 
venor,” he writes to a friend in 1806, “let me tell you 
what I have to do. I a in writing, 1. The History of 
Portugal; 2. The Chronicle of the Cid; 3. The Curse 
of Kehama; 4. Espriclla’s Letters. Look you, all this 
I am writing. ... By way of interlude comes in this 
Preface [to Specimens of English Poets]. Don’t swear, 
and bid me do one thing at a time. I tell you I can’t 
afford to do one thing at a time—no, nor two either; 
and it is only by doing many things that I contrive to 
do so much.” 1 

The revenues from his writings, though liberal, were 
not more than were required to meet the expenses of his 

1. Life and Correspondence, ed. Outhbert Southey, p. 210. 


10 


Introduction 


household. For his longer articles in the Quarterly Re¬ 
view , to which magazine alone he contributed 126 pieces 
between 1808 and 1838, he usually received £100. The 
Poet Laureateship, to which he succeeded in 1813, 
brought about £90, and after 1807 he received a govern¬ 
ment annuity of £150, doubled in 1835. 

The prospect thus offered of material comfort in later 
years was, however, of little avail to lighten domestic 
sorrow. The death of his wife, in 1837, Southey strove 
to bear with the stoic fortitude which had supported him 
in earlier afflictions. But liis mind and health were 
weakened, and a complete mental breakdown preceded 
his death in 1843. 

During his life at Keswick, Southey’s chief interests, 
aside from his books, had been in his home and his friends. 
With Wordsworth, whose cottage at Grasmere was thir¬ 
teen miles distant, his relations were cordial but never 
very intimate. Lamb, Landor, and Scott were in the 
circle of his closer friends. During the winter of 1811- 
12 Shelley spent pleasant days at Keswick, but it was 
with consternation and letters written “in the spirit 
of one who was sternly admonishing a fellow creature,” 
that the elder poet followed the aberrations of the 
younger’s later career. 

This stiff moral rectitude of Southey seems to have 
irritated another of his contemporaries, Lord Byron, 
though in this case the friction was increased by South¬ 
ey’s apostasy from liberalism and his connection with 
Byron’s old enemy the Quarterly Review. In 1813 the 
two met on friendly terms in London. Byron professed 
admiration for Southey’s “epic appearance,” and in his 
diary criticized the work of his fellow poet with approval 


Introduction 


*1 

and evident sincerity. “Southey’s talents,” to quote 
the diary, 11 are of the first order. His prose is perfect. 
Of his poetry there are various opinions; there is per¬ 
haps too much of it for the present generation; poster¬ 
ity will probably select. He has passages equal to 
anything.” 

Trouble first arose over Byron’s mischievous dedi¬ 
cation to the Poet Laureate of the most ribald of his 
productions, Don Juan. Southey in the preface to his 
Vision of Judgment replied by calling Don Juan “an 
act of high treason on English poetry” and its author 
a member of the “Satanic School” of poets. Southey’s 
Vision itself, an ill-conceived piece of task work on the 
difficult theme of George Ill’s reception among the 
immortals, offered Byron a splendid target for renewed 
attack. His parody, more famous than the original, 
held up to ridicule the profusion and occasional turgid- 
ity of Southey’s muse,— 

“He had written,much blank verse and blanker prose, 

And more of both than anybody knows. ” 

In particular its shafts were aimed at Southey’s extraor¬ 
dinary volte-face from the fiery republicanism and ideal¬ 
ism of his youth to the equally sturdy conservatism of 
his later years. 1 

Indeed it is not easy at first to reconcile the author 
of Joan of Arc and the early drama celebrating the 
rebel "Wat Tyler with the uncompromising opponent of 
the Reform Bill, Free Trade, and Catholic Emancipa¬ 
tion. Yet in this change of heart there can be no sus- 

1. For further account of the Southey-Byron controversy, see Byron’s 
Letters and Journals, ed. R. E. Prothero, Vol. VI, pp. 377-399. 


12 


Introduction 


picion of time-serving 1 or duplicity. As a youth Southey 
had lived through the days of the Bastile, seen Europe 
‘‘on fire with freedom/’ aild shared the sympathy felt 
in England and on the Continent for the ideals of strug¬ 
gling France. Later, like Wordsworth and many an¬ 
other Englishman, he had been alarmed by the excesses 
of the Revolution, and stirred to hatred by the danger 
to England threatened in the rise of Napoleon. For 
the latter no epithet was too violent,— 

il . . . bold man and bad, 

Remorseless, godless, full of fraud and lies, 

And black with murders and with perjuries. 

It is not for those who pass through such upheavals 
as the French Revolution and the Napoleonic Wars to 
appreciate the cleansing and ultimately beneficent ef¬ 
fects of their destructive force. A hundred years later 
we may realize, but we should not rashly condemn, the 
narrowness of vision of those who clung to the old order 
at a time when all law and order seemed about to pass 
away. Like most men of his age, Southey pinned his 
faith to the past; and he carried all the fervor and 
positiveness of his ardent temperament into his defense 
of the established institutions of England. 

Strong conservative opinions, not to say prejudices, 
are hardly the best equipment for a writer who would 
carry a message to future generations. From both the 
prose and the poetry of Southey posterity, as Byron 
prophesied, has selected, and somewhat ruthlessly. Ilis 
poetry, collected by its author in ten volumes, has not 

1. Ode Written during the Negotiations with Bonaparte in January, 


Introduction 


13 


since been gathered together in a complete edition, and 
is best judged by Professor Dowden’s single volume of 
well-chosen selections. This contains the shorter pieces 
and extracts from the four long narrative poems, 
Thalaba the Destroyer (1801), Madoc (1805), The 
Curse of Kehama (1810) and Roderick (1814). On the 
last-named, a spirited tale of the Goths in Spain, in 
blank verse, Byron pronounced the kindly judgment 
that it was “the first poem of the time.” Of the other 
three, only Thalaba is strengthened by regular stanzas 
and rhyme; and the fascination that Gothic legends and 
myths of India and Arabia had for readers a century 
ago seems long since to have passed away. “In the 
combat between Time and Thalaba,” wrote Thackeray 
as early as 1860, “I suspect the former destroyer has 
conquered; Kehama’s curse frightens very few*readers 
now.” 1 Among the shorter poems, The Ilolly Tree and 
the charming lines My Days Among the Dead Are Past 
are well known; while the direct simplicity of The 
Battle of Blenheim and The Inchcape Rock make them 
more than children’s classics. 

The bulk of Southey’s work, and in many respects 
the best of it, is in prose. Yet, by a fate similar to that 
of his poetry, his prose is kept in memory chiefly by 
a short and rapidly written biography, rather than, as 
he wished and confidently expected, by the solid volumes 
of his History of Brazil (1819) and History of the 
Peninsular War (1832). His History of Portugal, of 
which the Brazil was but an off-shoot, and which was 
to include an account of the Portuguese colonies, of the 
monastic orders, and of the literatures of Portugal and 

1. Thackeray’s Four Georges , George IV. 


14 


Introduction 


Spain, remained unfinished at his death, though it had 
been the labor of forty years. 

Fortunately, the Life of Nelson, limited in scope, in¬ 
spiring in theme, and outside the field of political con¬ 
troversy, where Southey was prone to narrowness and 
dogmatism, represents his best qualities as a student and 
writer. In its first form a long article published in the 
Quarterly Review in 1810, it was expanded for sepa¬ 
rate publication in 1813. The book was finished in Feb¬ 
ruary of that year. 1 ‘1 have walked among sea terms, ’ * 
the author wrote of it, “as carefully as a cat does 
among crockery; but if I have succeeded in making 
the narrative continuous and clear—the very opposite 
of what it is in the lives before me—the materials are 
in themselves so full of character, so picturesque, and 
so sublime, that it cannot fail of being a good book.” 1 

But the book has maintained its place in literature 
by other virtues than those inherent in the subject. 
Chief among these is its generally recognized excellence 
of style. Some of the judgments expressed on this point 
are worth stopping over, as a means of helping us not 
only to a better appreciation of Southey, but also, per¬ 
haps, to a better understanding of the qualities of good 
prose. In a review of Southey’s Colloquies on Society — 
a review, it may be said in passing, which displays some 
of the faults of style and temper from which Southey’s 
prose is free—his younger contemporary Macaulay pays 
tribute to the “beauty and purity” of Southey’s Eng¬ 
lish, so charming, he confesses, that “even when he 
writes nonsense, we generally read it with pleasure.” 
The praise of another contemporary, De Quincey, is 

1. Life and Correspondence, p. 291. 


Introduction 


15 


more moderate. He finds Southey’s style “admirably 
suited to the level character of his writing and the 
humbler choice of themes; let a subject arise in which 
a higher tone is required, of splendid declamation, and 
it will soon betray its want of the loftier qualities.” 1 
To splendid declamation, Southey, it is true, does not 
often aspire. His aims, according to his own statement, 
are more pedestrian,—“To say what you have to say 
as perspicuously as possible, as briefly as possible, and as 
rememberably as possible, not omitting the little circum¬ 
stances which give life to narration, and bring old man¬ 
ners, old feelings, and old times before the eyes.” 2 In 
an age of romanticism, Southey’s prose goes back to 
the sober traditions of the eighteenth century; its excel¬ 
lences lie in clarity and moderation, rather than in rich¬ 
ness of ornament or striking individuality of style. 

There is more willingness among modern students to 
grant the purely literary merits of Southey’s Nelson, 
than to concede that it retains any great value as a 
historical record. Since Southey’s time many docu¬ 
ments have been published, discoveries made, contro¬ 
versies waged, and much new light thrown on the public 
and private episodes of Nelson’s life. One cannot, it is 
said, see the mountain near at hand; nor is a contempo¬ 
rary, least of all a scholar among the documents of his 
library, best equipped to depict the stirring events in a 
great naval warrior’s career. 

But if there are difficulties, there are also advantages 
in the contemporary point of view. Southey had lived 
through the momentous events of the Napoleonic wars; 

1. Literary Reminiscences, chapter on Wordsworth and Southey. 

2. Dowden’s Life of Southey, p. 77. 


16 


Introduction 


for better or worse, he shared the feelings of his hero 
and of his age, the hatred of Napoleon, the distrust of 
Frenchmen in general, and all the prejudices of the old 
anti-Gallician school. More than this, he could convey 
to us the love and veneration in which Nelson was held 
by men of his own time. 

When Southey wrote his biography, Nelson had been 
dead eight years. Several lives had been written, and 
Clarke and M’Arthur had published their collection of 
Nelson’s reports and correspondence. The faults of 
this latter collection Southey had called attention to in 
his Quarterly article of 1810; and of Harrison’s Life 
of Nelson, on which he is said to have placed undue 
reliance, he had remarked that its author was chosen 
by Lady Hamilton’s friends as “one who would under¬ 
take to justify the only culpable parts of Nelson’s con¬ 
duct.” It is significant that Southey himself has been 
blamed, not for idealizing his hero, but for plain-spoken 
condemnation in reference to matters (such as the influ¬ 
ence of Lady Hamilton on Nelson’s management of the 
fleet in Italian waters, and his later relations with his 
wife) which reflect least credit on the character of Nelson. 

While it would be folly to minimize the importance 
of modern research on these and other points, it should 
at least be said that Southey errs less frequently and 
less flagrantly than some later biographers would have 
us believe. Fairness of temper and soundness of judg¬ 
ment are even more essential qualities in biographical 
writing than strict accuracy of detail. Southey was 
master of such materials as were then available, and he 
was a careful and conscientious workman, skilled hy long 
practice in weighing conflicting authorities and sifting 


Introduction 


17 


large masses of evidence. Moreover, he was familiar 
with life in the navy. His brother, Thomas Southey, 
with whom he kept up a steady correspondence, had 
been a midshipman in the Rellona at the time of Nel¬ 
son's last Mediterranean campaign, and had risen to 
the rank of captain in the service. Southey speaks also 
of a visit from a Captain Guillem, Nelson’s first lieuten¬ 
ant at Trafalgar, who had served before the mast and 
fought at Copenhagen, and who, as Southey said, ‘Hold 
us more of Nelson than I can find time to write.” 1 For 
the professional side of Nelson’s career, the reader should 
turn to the admirable two-volume biography by Captain 
Mahan; for a concise summary of the results of modern 
historical investigation, to the life in the English Men 
of Action Series by Sir John Knox Laughton; yet for 
a simple account of the essential facts, clear of techni¬ 
calities and unclouded by controversy, one may still 
justly prefer the pages of the older writer. 

In no small measure Southey is responsible for the 
popular conception of Nelson. If he has erred in the 
picture he has given us, the fault lies, not so much in a 
pardonable and even justifiable glorification of his hero’s 
achievements, as in laying more stress on his spectacular 
qualities of coolness and daring in actual battle than 
on the untiring foresight, attention to laborious detail, 
tact and policy in dealing with superiors and subordi¬ 
nates, and mastery of the science of his profession, which 
were equally a part of his genius and elements in his 
success. The thorough study which has since been de¬ 
voted to every phase of Nelson’s professional career has 
brought out these qualities with increasing clearness. 

1. Life and Correspondence, p. 228 (Nov. 24, 1807). 


18 


Introduction 


With the lapse of time judgment is less distracted by 
the facts of his private life, criticism less restrained by 
a sense of his immense service to his country, and we 
are thus able to attain a .somewhat fuller and franker 
recognition of his virtues and defects as a naval leader 
than was possible when Southey wrote. 1 

In his military, as in his personal character, Nelson 
mingled signal merits with very obvious weaknesses. 
Sailor fashion, he was, as his letters show, a bit given 
to grumbling, and to criticism of his superior officers 
and the shore administration. His professional ethics, 
tested for instance by his attitude toward the perennial 
evil of personal favor or “pull” in matters of promo¬ 
tion and the like, seem not to have been in advance of 
his age. Ever eager to reward his officers for merit 
or distinguished service, he was equally ready to push 
into a captaincy a step-son whose unfitness he must have 
known at the time. In matters of discipline, he was 
likely to be guided by his feelings rather than by strict 
equity, and it may even be suggested that in some 
instances his judgments savored of humor or caprice. 
As a case in point may be taken his decision to send 
Sir Robert Calder home for court martial in a 90-gun 
ship instead of a frigate, at a time when the full strength 
of the fleet was imperatively needed for the approach¬ 
ing struggle with Villeneuve. Ilis methods of disci¬ 
pline, it is true, were extraordinarily successful, but their 
success should be ascribed to his personal hold on the 
affections of his men and his constant regard for their 
welfare, rather than to strict adherence to the con¬ 
ventional code. 

1. See also TTawthorne’s criticism, quoted on p. 359. 


Introduction 


19 


Early and late in his career Nelson assumed an inde¬ 
pendence of his superiors that was also unsanctioned by 
orthodox military standards. Under Hughes in the West 
Indies, under Jervis at Cape St. Vincent, under Keith 
in the Mediterranean, and again at Copenhagen, he 
acted with such disregard of his instructions as could 
be carried off only by brilliant success. In defeat, such 
conduct is insubordination; in victory, it is courageous 
assumption of responsibility. In Nelson’s case it ac¬ 
counts for his rapid rise to prominence and his selection 
for difficult tasks. Again and again he put his fortunes 
to the hazard of a single bold stroke. “If I had not 
succeeded, I might have been broke,” he exclaimed on 
one such occasion, and he might truthfully have repeated 
the remark at many another crisis of his career. 

That his ventures were so frequently successful must 
be attributed, not primarily to good luck, but to thorough 
preparation and skill in turning opportunities to advan¬ 
tage. Nelson was keenly interested in the science of 
naval warfare and his mind was constantly at work on its 
problems. In the opinion of Admiral Mahan, though he 
was a less expert seaman than his friend Collingwood, 
and less a master of naval administration than Jervis, he 
was better than either in the actual conduct of a campaign. 
Naval strategy—including all the phases of preparation 
for battle—and tactics—the movements in battle—were 
in Nelson’s day less complicated and at the same time 
less generally understood than now. It may be doubted 
whether the British admirals blockading the enemy fleets 
in the ports of France and Spain realized as clearly 
as historians have later realized how they were cooperat¬ 
ing to frustrate Napoleon’s schemes for the invasion 


20 


Introduction 


of England and to bring about his final downfall. What 
they did understand was that each had it as his task 
to watch, and if possible engage and destroy, that part 
of the enemy fleet to which lie was assigned. 

This was Nelson’s chief concern, and to it he gave pro¬ 
longed study. In his Mediterranean campaigns he was 
ordinarily opposed to an enemy equal or superior in 
material strength and close to its base of supplies. To 
meet this superiority he could rely on the better train¬ 
ing and seamanship of the British sailors, inured as 
they were to sea life by the long vigils of the blockade. 
If opportunity offered, the fundamental principle of 
his tactics was to take the offensive, and concentrate in 
superior force against a part of the enemy, preventing 
the remainder, if possible, from giving aid. The plan 
adopted at the Battle of the Nile, which illustrates this 
principle, was thoroughly worked out and understood 
by his captains before the attack. And the manner in 
which, in this engagement, Nelson carried his ships 
straight into action, in spite of gathering darkness, 
without a delay until morning which might quite con¬ 
ceivably have been fatal to his chance of victory, illus¬ 
trates admirably his combination of thorough prepara¬ 
tion and prompt execution. The plan employed at 
Trafalgar, similar but more elaborate, was under dis¬ 
cussion during the pursuit of Villeneuve to the West 
Indies in the preceding winter, and was well formulated 
before Nelson’s final departure from England to take 
command off Cadiz. 

In the difficult task of keeping his fleet in material 
readiness—his ships in repair and his crews in health, 
Nelson showed equal skill. The long Toulon blockade, 


Introduction 


21 


from May, 1803, to January, 1805, during which count¬ 
less difficulties had to be met arising from inadequate 
supplies, need of repairs, and the necessity of keeping 
up the health and spirits of the men, was an achievement 
comparable in its kind to the victory of Trafalgar. 
According to a report of the fleet physician in August, 
1805, the deaths on shipboard during the preceding two 
years, in. a force of from six to eight thousand men, 
amounted to only one hundred ten, and the average 
number on the sick-list to about twenty-five per thou¬ 
sand—a record unprecedented at that time and remark¬ 
able today. When Nelson returned to Gibraltar after 
the pursuit of Villeneuve to the West Indies and back, 
he set foot on shore for the first time in over two years. 
The French fleet was demoralized by the long voyage; 
Nelson’s ships joined Cornwallis in the Channel, and 
Nelson himself, after less than a month in England, 
again hoisted his flag in the Victory. 

In days when the very existence of England depended 
on her fleets, Nelson understood better than most of his 
contemporaries the need of pushing an engagement to 
decisive results. Many of the commanders under whom 
he served in his earlier years were men of the old 
school, accustomed to the long-range fleet engagements 
of the eighteenth century, with conventions as strict 
as those of the code duello and consequences seldom 
more fatal. Nelson rebelled against their half measures. 
“Had we taken ten sail,” he remarked after one such 
inconclusive encounter, “and allowed the eleventh to 
escape, when it had been possible to have got at her, 
I could never have called it well done.” It was by this 
eagerness for ‘ 1 close and decisive battle ’ ’ and the ‘ k anni- 


22 


Introduction 


% 


hilation of the enemy fleet” that Nelson, more than any 
one else, succeeded in breaking down eighteenth century 
traditions, and bringing about a revolution in naval 
warfare curiously parallel, in its more limited scope, 
to contemporary changes in literature, politics, and so¬ 
ciety. Popular imagination is, after all, right in remem¬ 
bering him for his impetuosity and daring, and pictur¬ 
ing him as the commander who broke from the line 
without orders at Cape St. Vincent, attacked a fleet 
protected by shoals and shore batteries at the Nile, 
pushed a reluctant superior officer to vigorous action 
at Copenhagen, and by seemingly rash and headlong 
onset destroyed a superior fleet at Trafalgar. 

In neither his defects nor his virtues is Nelson the 
typical British man of action, or at least not the con¬ 
ventional ideal. His petulance, vanity, and emotional¬ 
ism are more often associated with the Celtic or Latin 
temperaments, as are also his mental rapidity, alert¬ 
ness in crises, and power to inspire the unlimited devo¬ 
tion of his men. “Wellington commanded our respect,” 
said an officer who had known both intimately, “but 
Nelson was the man to love.” With all his faults he 
stands preeminent among naval leaders, and is probably 
the greatest English commander on land or sea. 

A. F. W. 


U. S. Naval Academy, June 15, 1916. 


BIBLIOGRAPHICAL NOTE 


Southey 

Biographical sources: 

Southey's Commonplace Boole, ed. J. W. Warter, 1849. 

Southey’s Life and Correspondence, ed. Cuthbert Southey, two 
vols., 1850. 

Atlantic Monthly , Jan., 1902. (A number of Southey ; s letters 
not previously published.) 

Biographies: 

Life of Southey, by Edward Dowden, English Men of Letters 
Series, 1879. (The best critical study of Southey’s liie and 
writings.) 

Robert Southey; the Story of His Life Written in His Letters, 
ed. John Dennis, Boston, 1887, and published also in Bohn’s 
Library, 1894. (A carefully edited collection of the more 
important of Southey’s letters.) 

Works: 

Southey’s Poems, ed. Edward Dowden, Golden Treasury Series, 
Macmillan, 1S91. (A volume of selections with an excellent 
critical introduction.) 

Poems by Robert Southey, ed. M. II. Fitzgerald, Oxford Univer¬ 
sity Press, 1909. 

Select Prose of Robert Southey, ed. J. Zcitlin, Macmillan, New 
York, 1910. 

Additional references: 

Carlyle’s Reminiscences, 1881, Yol. I. (Brief personal recol¬ 
lections and criticism.) 

De Quincey’s Literary Reminiscences. (Chapters on Coleridge 
and on Wordsworth and Southey.) 

Thackeray’s Four Georges. (Interesting sketch of Southey in 
George 1Y.) 

Macaulay’s Literary Essays. (Reviews of Southey’s Colloquies 
on Society and Southey’s edition of Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Prog¬ 
ress.) 


23 


24 


Introduction 


Leslie Stephen’s Studies of a Biographer, Vol. IV. (Essay on 
Southey.) 

Saintsbury’s History of Criticism, Vol. Ill, pp. 233-237, and 
History of Nineteenth Century Literature, pp. 63-69. See also 
his essay on Southey in Macmillan ’s Magazine, April, 1895. 


Nelson 

Biographical sources: 

Clarke and M’Arthur’s Life of Nelson, two vols., 1809. (A 
biography in which are inserted the more important of Nel¬ 
son’s official reports and letters—the letters considerably al¬ 
tered and mutilated.) 

Nicolas’s Despatches and Letters of Lord Nelson, seven vols., 
1844-46. (A complete and well-edited collection.) 

Nelson’s Letters and Despatches, ed. J. K. Laughton, one vol., 
1886. 

Biographies: 

Harrison’s Life of Nelson, 1S06. (Untrustworthy; written in 

% 

the interest of Lady Hamilton from materials largely supplied 
by her.) 

Clark Bussell’s Life of Nelson, Heroes of the Nations Series, 
1890. 

J. K. Laughton’s Life of Nelson, English Men of Action Series, 
1895, and The Nelson Memorial, 1S96. 

Admiral Mahan ’« Life of Nelson, two vols., 1897. 

\ 

Additional references: 

James’s Naval History, six vols. (The best contemporary au¬ 
thority on Nelson's professional career.) 

Pettigrew’s Memoirs oj the Life of Nelson, two vols., 1849. 

Jeaffreson’s Lady Hamilton and Lord Nelson, 18S8 / and The 
Queen of Naples and Lord Nelson, 1889. 

Admiral Mahan’s Influence of Sea Bower on the French Devo¬ 
lution and Empire, two vols., 1892. 

Clowes’ History of the Loyal Navy, vols. IV and V, 1900. 

E. H. Ilobhouse’s Nelson in England, London, 1913. 

H. Newbolt’s The Year of Trafalgar, London, 1915. 


THE LIFE OF NELSON 


CHAPTER I 


Nelson’s Birth and Boyhood—He is entered on board the Baison- 
nable —Goes to the West Indies in a Merchant-ship; then serves in 
the Triumph —He sails in Captain Phipp’s Voyage of Discovery— 
Goes to the East Indies in the Seahorse, and returns in ill health— 
Serves as acting Lieutenant in the Worcester, and is made Lieuten¬ 
ant into the Lowestoffe, Commander into the Badger Brig, and Post 
into the Hinchinbrook —Expedition against the Spanish Main—Sent 
to the North Seas in the Albemarle —Services during the American 
War. 

Horatio, son of Edmund and Catherine Nelson, was 
born September 29, 1758, in the parsonage-house of 
Burnham-Thorpe, a village in the county of Norfolk, of 
which his father was rector. The maiden name of his 
mother was Suckling: 1 her grandmother was an elder 
sister of Sir Robert Walpole, 2 and this child was named 
after his god-father, the first Lord Walpole. 3 Mrs. Nel- 

1. Suckling. Her father was a grandnephew of Sir John Suckling, 
poet, courtier, and soldier in the reign of Charles I. 

2. Sir Robert Walpole (167G-1745). Leader of the Whig party and 
foremost figure in English politics during the reigns of George I and 
George II. He is regarded as having been the first to exercise the 
powers of a modern prime minister. 

3. First Lord Walpole. Iloratio, first Lord Walpole of Wolterton, 
was an elder brother of Sir Robert Walpole and a patron of Nelson’s 
father. Since the first lord died in 175G, Nelson’s godfather was pre¬ 
sumably the second Lord Walpole, of the same name, who was about 
thirty-five years of age at the time of Nelson’s birth. Neither the 
first nor the second Lord Walpole is to be confused with Sir Horace 
(or Horatio) Walpole of Strawberry Hill, the famous writer and anti¬ 
quarian, who was a son of Sir Robert. 

25 





26 


The Life of Nelson 


son died in 1767, leaving eight out of eleven children. 
Her brother, Captain Maurice Suckling, of the Navy, 
visited the widower upon this event, and promised to 
take care of one of the boys. Three years afterwards, 
when Horatio was only twelve years of age, being at 
home during the Christmas holidays, he read in the 
country newspaper that his uncle was appointed to the 
Raisonnable, of sixty-four guns. 1 “Do, ’William,” said 
he to a brother who was a year and a half older than 
himself, “write to my father and tell him that I should 
like to go to sea with uncle Maurice.” Mr. Nelson 
was then at Bath, 2 whither he had gone for the recovery 
of his health: his circumstances were straitened, and he 
had no prospect of ever seeing them bettered: he knew 
that it was the wish of providing for himself by which 
Horatio was chiefly actuated; and did not oppose his 
resolution: he understood also the boy’s character, and 
had always said, that in whatever station he might be 
placed, he would climb, if possible, to the very top of 
the tree. Accordingly Captain Suckling was written to. 
“What,” said he in his answer, “has poor Horatio 
done, who is so weak, that he, above all the rest, 
should be sent to rough it out at sea ?—But let him 

1. Sixty-four guns. In the eighteenth century the ships of the Brit¬ 
ish Navy were divided into “rates,” or classes, according to the number 
of guns they carried, as follows: first-rates carried from 100 to 120 
guns mounted on three decks; second-rates were ships of 98 or 90 
guns; third-rates were 80’s, 74’s, or 64’s. Vessels of 64 guns or more 
were called “ships-of-the-line,” i. e., strong enough to be put in the 
first line of a battle formatior ; smaller vessels were classified as 
frigates, sloops-of-war, brigs, etc., according to their rig and arrange¬ 
ment of guns. A frigate of Nelson's time was usually ship-rigged and 
carried about 24 guns mounted on the main deck and on raised decks 
fore and aft: she was used chiefly for scouting, carrying despatches, 
and transmitting signals in battle. A sloop-of-war (the French 
corvette ) carried all her guns on the main deck. 

2. Bath. A city near Bristol in southwestern England, celebrated 
for its mineral springs. In the eighteenth century it reached the 
height of its popularity as a center of fashion and health resort. 


The Life of Nelson 


27 


come, and the first time we go into action a cannon¬ 
ball may knock off his head, and provide for him at 
once.” 

It is manifest from these words, that Horatio was not 
the boy whom his uncle would have chosen to bring up 
in his own profession. He was never of a strong body; 
and the ague, which at that time was one of the most 
common diseases in England, had greatly reduced his 
strength; yet he had already given proofs of that reso¬ 
lute heart and nobleness of mind, which, during his 
whole career of labor and of glory, so eminently distin¬ 
guished him. When a mere child, he strayed a bird’s- 
nesting from his grandmother’s house in company with 
a cowboy: the dinner-hour elapsed; he was absent, and 
could not be found; and the alarm of the family became 
very great, for they apprehended that he might have 
been carried off by gipsies. At length, after search had 
been made for him in various directions, he was dis¬ 
covered alone, sitting composedly by the side of a brook 
which he could not get over. “I wonder, child,” said 
the old lady when she saw him, “that hunger and fear 
did not drive you home.”—“Fear! grand-mamma,” 
replied the future hero, “I never saw fear:—What is 
it?” Once, after the winter holidays, when he and his 
brother William had set off on horseback to return to 
school, they came back because there had been a fall of 
snow; and William, who did not much like the journey, 
said it was too deep for them to venture on. “If that 
be the case,” said the father, “you certainly shall not 
go: but make another attempt, and I will leave it to 
your honor. If the road is dangerous, you may return: 
but remember, boys, I leave it to your honor. ’ ’ The snow 
was deep enough to have afforded them a reasonable 
excuse: but *Horatio was not to be prevailed upon to 
turn back. “We must go on,” said he: “remember, 


28 


The Life of Nelson 


brother, it was left to our honor! ’ ’—There were some 
fine pears growing in the schoolmaster's garden, which 
the boys regarded as lawful booty; but the boldest among 
them were afraid to venture for the prize. Horatio vol¬ 
unteered upon this service: he was lowered down at 
night from the bedroom window by some sheets, plun¬ 
dered the tree, was drawn up with the pears, and then 
distributed them among his schoolfellows without reserv¬ 
ing any for himself.—‘Hie only took them/’ he said, 
“because every other boy was afraid.” 1 

Early on a cold and dark spring morning Mr. Nel¬ 
son’s servant arrived at this school, at North Walsham, 
with the expected summons for Horatio to join his ship. 
The parting from his brother William, who had been 
for so many years his playmate and bed-fellow, was a 
painful effort, and was the beginning of those privations 
which are the sailor’s lot through life. He accompanied 
his father to London. The Raisonnable was lying in 
the Medway. He was put into the Chatham 2 stage, 
and on its arrival was set down with the rest of the 
passengers, and left to find his way on board as he 
could. After wandering about in the cold without 
being able to reach the ship, an officer observed the 
forlorn appearance of the boy; questioned him; and, 
happening to be acquainted with his uncle, took him 
home, and gave him some refreshments. When he got 

1. Because every other hoy teas afraid. Anecdotes such as the fore¬ 
going are characterized by Trofessor J. K. Laughton ( Life of Nelson, 
p. 7) as “made to order, or exaggerations of old family jokes.” 
Southey was no doubt attracted by their narrative interest, and felt 
less keenly than modern biographers the need of searching into their 
validity. They have a value also as illustrating the contemporary 
feeling for Nelson. 

2. Chatham. A port on the Medway River, which forms bclov\ 
Chatham a wide estuary often employed by the British fleet ns a hasp 
and winter-quarters. The Dutch in 1667 raided the port and destroyed 
most of the British Navy. 


The Life of Nelson 


29 


on board, Captain Suckling was not in the ship, nor 
had any person been apprised of the hoy’s coming. He 
paced the deck the whole remainder of the day, without 
being noticed by any one; and it was not till the second 
day that somebody, as he expressed it, ‘ ‘ took compassion 
on him.” The pain which is felt when we are first 
transplanted from our native soil, when the living 
branch is cut from the parent tree, is one of the most 
poignant which we have to endure through life. There 
are after griefs which wound more deeply, which leave 
behind them scars never to be effaced, which bruise the 
spirit and sometimes break the heart: but never do 
we feel so keenly the want of love, the necessity of being 
loved, and the sense of utter desertion, as when we 
first leave the haven of home, and are, as it were, 
pushed off upon the stream of life. Added to these 
feelings, the sea-boy has to endure physical hardships, 
and the privation of every comfort, even of sleep. Nel¬ 
son had a feeble body and an affectionate heart, and he 
remembered through life his first days of wretchedness 
in the service. 

The Raisonnable having been commissioned on ac¬ 
count of the dispute respecting the Falkland Islands, 1 
was paid off as soon as that difference with the court of 
Spain was accommodated, and Captain Suckling was 
removed to the Triumph , seventy-four, then stationed 
as a guardship 2 in the Thames. This was considered as 
too inactive a station for a boy, and Nelson was there¬ 
fore sent a voyage to the West Indies in a merchant- 
ship, commanded by Mr. John Rathbone, an excellent 

1. Dispute respecting the FaUdand Islands. Spain had received the 
Islands from France, and in 1770 drove out a small English settlement 
made there five years before. English naval preparations led Spain 
to give over her claims in 1771. 

2. Guardship. A war-vessel appointed to protect and control the 
shipping of a port, and to receive naval recruits. 


30 


The Life of Nelson 


seaman, who had served as Master’s mate 1 under Cap¬ 
tain Suckling in the Dreadnought. He returned a prac¬ 
tical seaman, but with a hatred of the king’s service, 
and a saying then common among the sailors—“Aft 
the most honor, forward the better man.” Rathbone 
had probably been disappointed and disgusted in the 
Navy; and, with no unfriendly intentions, warned Nel¬ 
son against a profession which he himself had found 
hopeless. His uncle received him on board the Triumph* 
on his return; and discovering his dislike to the Navy, 
took the best means of reconciling him to it. He held it 
out as a reward, that if he attended well to his naviga¬ 
tion he should go in the cutter and decked long-boat 2 
"which was attached to the commanding officer’s ship at 
Chatham. Thus he became a good pilot for vessels of 
that description, from Chatham to the Tower, and 
down the Swin Channel to the North Foreland, 3 and 
acquired a confidence among rocks and sands, of which 
he often felt the value. 

Nelson had not been many months on board the 
Triumph when his love of enterprise was excited by 
hearing that two ships were fitting out for a voyage 
of discovery toward the North Pole. In consequence 
of the difficulties which were expected on such a service, 
these vessels were to take out effective men instead of 
the usual number of boys. This, however, did not 
deter him from soliciting to be received, and by his 

1. Master’s mate. A petty officer (not eligible for promotion to 
commissioned rank) whose duty it was to assist the old-time sailing- 
master in navigating the ship, lading stores, and maintaining order on 
shipboard. 

2. Cutter and decked long-boat. The largest of the ship’s boats, 
provided with oars, mast, and sails, and with a crew usually of from 
twelve to fifteen men. * 

3. Tower . . . 'North Foreland. That is, he learned the chan¬ 

nels of the Thames estuary from the Tower of London to the North 
Foreland at its outer southern extremity. 





The Life of Nelson 


31 


uncle's interest 1 lie was admitted as coxswain under 
Captain Lutwidge, second in command. The voyage was 
undertaken in compliance with an application from the 
Royal Society. 2 Captain the Hon. Constantine John 
Phipps, eldest son of Lord Mulgrave, volunteered his 
services. The Racehorse and Carcass bombs 3 were se¬ 
lected, as the strongest ships, and therefore best adapted 
for such a voyage; and they were taken into dock and 
strengthened to render them as secure as possible 
against the ice. Two masters of Greenlandmen 4 were 
employed as pilots for each ship. No expedition was 
ever more carefully fitted out, and the First Lord of the 
Admiralty, 5 Lord Sandwich, with a laudable solicitude, 
went on board himself before their departure, to see 
that everything had been completed to the wish of 
the officers. The ships were provided with a simple 
and excellent apparatus for distilling fresh from salt 
water, the invention of Dr. Irving, who accompanied the 

1. Interest. Influence. 

2. Royal Society. “The Royal Society of London for Improving 
Natural Knowledge.” From its foundation in 1660 to the present 
time, the society has been the foremost organization of its type In 
England, including among its members the leaders of English scientific 
achievement. During the voyage, which was undertaken in the interest 
of various branches of science, the vessels explored and mapped the 
northwest coast and islands of Spitsbergen, reaching a point 80° 48' N. 

3. Bombs. Bombs, or bomb-vessels, were staunch, broad-beamed 
crafts, built to carry mortar guns for throwing bombs at high angles. 

4. Masters of Greenlandmen. Captains of Greenland wflialing vessels. 

5. Admiralty. The Board of Admiralty, in w T hieh is vested the 
administration of the British Navy, consists of six members: the first 
lord, usually a civilian, who is head of the board and a cabinet min¬ 
ister ; four naval officers, called sea lords; and one additional civilian 
lord. The first lord Is in supreme authority, and it is held that his 
constitutional powers permit him to issue orders on his own responsi¬ 
bility. Ordinarily, however, he does not act without the knowledge and 
concurrence of a majority of the board. In Nelson's time the powers 
of the Admiralty were more strictly confined to the control of the fleet, 
while financial and shore administration was In the hands of the 
Comptroller and the Navy Board. See p. 40, note 3. 




32 


The Liee of Nelson 


expedition. It consisted merely of fitting a tube to the 
ship’s kettle, and applying a wet mop to the surface, as 
the vapor was passing. 1 By these means, from thirty- 
four to forty gallons w T ere produced every day. 

They sailed from the Nore 2 on the 4th of June : 3 on the 
6th of the following month they were in latitude 79° 56' 
39"; longitude 9° 43' 30" E. The next day, about the 
place where most of the old discoverers had been stopped, 
the Racehorse was beset with ice; but they hove her 
through with ice-anchors. 4 Captain Phipps continued 
ranging along the ice northward and westward till the 
24th; he then tried to the eastward. On the 30th he 
was in latitude 80° 13', longitude 18° 48' E., among the 
islands and in the ice, with no appearance of an open¬ 
ing for the ships. The weather was fine, mild, and un¬ 
usually clear. Here they were becalmed in a large bay, 
with three apparent openings between the islands which 
formed it; but everywhere, as far as they could see, 
surrounded with ice. There was not a breath of air, 
the water was perfectly smooth, the ice covered with 
snow, low and even, except a few broken pieces near the 
edge; and the pools of water in the middle of the ice¬ 
fields just crusted over with young ice. On the next day 
the ice closed upon them, and no opening was to 
be seen anywhere, except a hole, or lake, as it might 
be called, of about a mile and a half in circumference, 
where the ships lay fast to the ice with their ice-anchors. 
They filled their casks with water from these ice-fields, 
which was very pure and soft. The men were playing 

1. Vapor teas passing. The steam carried by the tube from the top 
of the kettle was turned to water by wrapping the tube with a wet, 
cold mop. 

2. The Nore. A sand-bar and lighthouse midway in the mouth of 
the Thames, forty-eight miles below London. 

8. Jfth of June. In the year 1773. 

4. Ice-anchors. Large iron hooks, bent nearly at right angles, with 
Bharp points to catch in the ice. 


The Life of Nelson 


33 


on the ice all day; but the Greenland pilots, who were 
further than they had ever been before, and considered 
that the season was far advancing, were alarmed at 
being thus beset. 

The next day there was not the smallest opening, the 
ships were within less than two lengths of each other, 
separated by ice, and neither having room to turn. The 
ice, which the day before had been flat, and almost level 
with the water’s edge, was now in many places forced 
higher than the mainvard, 1 by the pieces squeezing to¬ 
gether. A day of thick fog followed: it was succeeded 
by clear weather, but the passage by which the ships 
had entered from the westward was closed, and no open 
water was in sight, either in that or any other quarter. 
By the pilots’ advice the men were set to cut a passage, 
and warp through the small openings to the westward. 
They sawed through pieces of ice twelve feet thick, and 
this labor continued the whole day, during which their 
utmost efforts did not move the ships above three hun¬ 
dred yards; while they were driven, together with the 
ice, far to the N. E. and E. by the current. Some¬ 
times a field of several acres square would be lifted up 
between two larger islands, and incorporated with them; 
and thus these larger pieces continued to grow by aggre¬ 
gation. Another day passed, and there seemed no proba¬ 
bility of getting the ships out, without a strong E. or 
N. E. wind. The season was far advanced, and every 
hour lessened the chance of extricating themselves. 
Young as he was, Nelson was appointed to command 
one of the boats which were sent out to explore a pas¬ 
sage into the open water. It was the means of Saving a 
boat belonging to the Racehorse from a singular but 
imminent danger. Some of the officers had fired at and 

1. Mainyard. The lowermost yard of the mainmast, twenty-five or 
thirty feet from the water. 





34 


The Life of Nelson 


wounded a walrus. As no other animal has so human¬ 
like an expression in its countenance, so also is there 
none that seems to possess more of the passions of hu¬ 
manity. The wounded animal dived immediately, and 
brought up a number of its companions; and they all 
joined in an attack upon the boat. They wrested an oar 
from one of the men; and it was with the utmost diffi¬ 
culty that the crew could prevent them from staving or 
upsetting her, till the Carcass’s boat came up: and the 
walruses, finding their enemies thus reinforced, dis¬ 
persed. Young Nelson exposed himself in a more daring 
manner. One night, during the mid-watch, 1 he stole 
from the ship with one of his comrades, taking advan¬ 
tage of a rising fog, and set out over the ice in pursuit 
of a bear. It was not long before they were missed. 
The fog thickened, and Captain Lutwidge and his offi¬ 
cers became exceedingly alarmed for their safety. Be¬ 
tween three and four in the morning the weather cleared, 
and the two adventurers were seen, at a considerable 
distance from the ship, attacking a huge bear. The 
signal for them to return was immediately made: Nel¬ 
son’s comrade called upon him to obey it, but in vain; 
his musket had flashed in the pan ; 2 their ammunition 
was expended; and a chasm in the ice, which divided 
him from the bear, probably preserved his life. “Never 
mind,” he cried; “do but let me get a blow at this devil 
with the butt-end of my musket, and we shall have him.” 
Captain Lutwidge, however, seeing his danger, fired a 
gun, which had the desired effect of frightening the 

1. Mid-tcatch. From midnight to 4 A. M. On ship-board, the day 
beginning at midnight is divided Into fonr-honr "watches,” except that 
the period from 4 to 8 P. M. Is divided into "dog watches” of two 
honrs each. 

2. Flashed in the pan. Failed to discharge. The old flint-lock 
mnsket was fired by priming powder placed in a small pan at the 
base of the barrel and ignited by a spark struck with flint. 



The Life of Nelson 


35 


beast; and the boy then returned, somewhat afraid of 
the consequences of his trespass. The captain repri¬ 
manded him sternly for conduct so unworthy of the 
office which he filled, and desired to know what motive 
he could have for hunting a bear. “Sir,” said he, 
pouting his lip, as he was wont to do when agitated, 
“I wished to kill the bear, that I might carry the skin 
to my father.” 

A party were now sent to an island, about twelve 
miles off (named Walden’s Island in the chart, from 
the midshipman who was intrusted with this service), 
to see where the open water lay. They came back with 
information that the ice, though close all about them, 
was open to the westward, round the point by which 
they came in. They said also, that upon the island they 
had had a fresh east wind. This intelligence consid¬ 
erably abated the hopes of the crew, for where they 
lay it had been almost calm, and their main dependence 
had been upon the effect of an easterly wind in clear¬ 
ing the bay. There was but one alternative, either to 
wait the event of the weather upon the ships, or to 
betake themselves to the boats. The likelihood that it 
might be necessary to sacrifice the ships had been fore¬ 
seen ; the boats, accordingly, were adapted, both in num¬ 
ber and size, to transport, in case of emergency, the 
whole crew; and there were Dutch whalers upon the 
coast, in which they could all be conveyed to Europe. 
As for wintering where they were, that dreadful experi¬ 
ment had been* already tried too often. No time was to 
be lost; the ships had driven into shoal water, having 
but fourteen fathoms. Should they, or the ice to which 
they were fast, take the ground, they must inevitably be 
lost: and at this time they were driving fast towards 
some rocks on the N. E. Captain Phipps had sent for 
the officers of both ships, and told them his intention 




The Life of Nelson 


of preparing the boats for going away. They were 
immediately hoisted out, and the fitting begun. Canvas 
bread-bags were made, in case it should be necessary 
suddenly to desert the vessels; and men were sent with 
the lead and line to the northward and eastward, to 
sound wherever they found cracks in the ice, that they 
might have notice before the ice took the ground; for, 
in that case, the ships must have instantly been crushed 
or overset. 

On the 7th of August they began to haul the boats 
over the ice, Nelson having command of the four-oared 
cutter. The men behaved excellently well, like true 
British seamen: they seemed reconciled to the thought 
of leaving the ships, and had full confidence in their 
officers. About noon, the ice appeared rather more open 
near the vessels; and as the wind was easterly, though 
there was but little of it, the sails were set, and they 
got about a mile to the westward. They moved very 
slowly, and were not now nearly so far to the westward 
as when they w r ere firs* beset. However, all sail was 
kept upon them, to force them through whenever the ice 
slacked the least. Whatever exertions were made, it 
could not be possible to get the boats to the water’s 
edge before the 14th; and if the situation of the ships 
should not alter by that time, it would not be justifiable 
to stay longer by them. The Commander therefore 
resolved to carry on both attempts together, moving 
the boats constantly, and taking every opportunity of 
getting the ships through. A party was sent out next 
day to the westward, to examine the state of the ice: 
they returned with tidings that it was very heavy and 
close, consisting chiefly of large fields. The ships, how¬ 
ever, moved something, and the ice itself was drifting 
westward. There was a thick fog, so that it was impos¬ 
sible to ascertain what advantage had been gained. It 


The Life of Nelson 


37 


continued on the 9th; but the ships were moved a little 
through some very small openings: the mist cleared off 
in the afternoon; and it was then perceived that they 
had driven much more than could have been expected 
to the westward, and that the ice itself had driven still 
farther. In the course of the day they got past the 
boats, and took them on board again. On the morrow 
the wind sprang up to the N. N. E. All sail was set, and 
the ships forced their way through a great deal of very 
heavy ice. They frequently struck, and with such force, 
that one stroke broke the shank of the Racehorse's best 
bower anchor: 1 but the vessels made way; and by noon 
they had cleared the ice, and were out at sea. The next 
day they anchored in Smeerenberg Harbor, close to 
that island of which the westernmost point is called 
Hakluyt’s 2 Headland, in honor of the great promoter 
and compiler of our English voyages of discovery. 

Here they remained for a few days, that the men 
might rest after their fatigue. No insect was to be 
seen in this dreary country, nor any species of reptile, 
not even the common earthworm. Large bodies of ice, 
called icebergs, filled up the valleys between high moun¬ 
tains, so dark, as, when contrasted with the snow, to 
appear black. The color of the ice was a lively light 
green. Opposite to the place where they had fixed their 
observatory was one of these icebergs, above three hun¬ 
dred feet high; its side towards the sea was nearly 
perpendicular, and a stream of water issued from it. 
Large pieces frequently broke off, and rolled down into 
the sea. There was no thunder nor lightning during 

1. Shanh of the best boiver anchor. The best boiver is the larger 
of the two anchors usually carried at a vessel’s bow. The shank is 
the main shaft of the anchor, between the stock and the flukes. 

2. naklujjt’s. Richard Hakluyt (c. 1553-1G16). The final edition 
of his chief work, “The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques and 
Discoveries of the English Nation,” appeared in 1600. 


38 


The Life of Nelson 


the whole time they were in these latitudes. The shy 
was generally loaded with hard white clouds, from 
which it was never entirely free, even in the clearest 
weather. They always knew when they were approach¬ 
ing the ice, long before they saw it, hy a bright appear¬ 
ance near the horizon, which the Greenlandmen called 
the blink of the ice. The season was now so far ad¬ 
vanced that nothing more could have been attempted, 
if, indeed, anything had been left untried: but the 
summer had been unusually favorable, and they had 
carefully surveyed the wall of ice extending for more 
than twenty degrees between the latitudes of 80° 
and 81°, without the smallest appearance of any 
opening. 

The ships were paid off shortly after their return to 
England; and Nelson was then placed by his uncle with 
Captain Farmer, in the Seahorse , of twenty guns, then 
going out to the East Indies in the squadron under Sir 
Edward Hughes. He was stationed in the foretop 1 at 
watch and watch. 2 His good conduct attracted the 
attention of the Master (afterwards Captain Surridge), 
in whose watch he was; and, upon his recommendation, 
the Captain rated him as Midshipman. 3 At this time his 
countenance was florid, and his appearance rather stout 
and athletic: but when he had been about eighteen 

1. Foretop. A platform supported by the crosstrees at the fore¬ 
mast head. Nelson was here doing the work of an “able seaman,” 
presumably in command of men stationed in the foretop to work 
sails. 

2. Watch and watch. Serving one watch on and one off throughout 
the twenty-four hours. 

3. Rated him as midshipman. In the eighteenth century there was 
a naval academy at Portsmouth accommodating about seventy “naval 
cadets.” Most officers, however, began their training on ship-board as 
“captain’s servants.” At fifteen, which was Nelson’s age at this time, 
they were rated as midshipmen. They were instructed in navigation 
by the sailing-master, and were expected to qualify in three or four 
years for the grade of lieutenant. 


The Life of Nelson 


39 


months in India 1 he felt the* effects of that climate, so 
perilous to European constitutions. The disease baffled 
all power of medicine; he was reduced almost to a 
skeleton; the use of his limbs was for some time entirely 
lost; and the only hope that remained was from a 
voyage home. Accordingly he was brought home by 
Captain Pigot, in the Dolphin; and had it not been for 
the attentive and careful kindness of that officer on the 
way, Nelson would never have lived to reach his native 
shores. He had formed an acquaintance with Sir 
Charles Pole, Sir Thomas Troubridge, and other dis¬ 
tinguished officers, then, like himself, beginning their 
career: he had left them pursuing that career in full 
enjoyment of health and hope, and was returning from 
a country in which all things were to him new and inter¬ 
esting, with a body broken down by sickness, and spirits 
which had sunk with his strength. Long afterwards, 
when the name of Nelson was known as wbdely as that 
of England itself, he spoke of the feelings which he at 
this time endured. “I felt impressed,” said he, “with 
a feeling that I should never rise in my profession. My 
mind was staggered with a view of the difficulties I had 
to surmount, and the little interest I possessed. I could 
discover no means of reaching the object of my ambi¬ 
tion. After a long and gloomy reverie, in which I al¬ 
most wished myself overboard, a sudden glow of pa¬ 
triotism was kindled within me, and presented my King 
and country as my patron, ‘Well then/ I exclaimed, 
‘ I will be a hero! and, confiding in Providence, brave 
every danger!’ ” 

Long afterwards, Nelson loved to speak of the feeling 
of that moment: and from that time, he often said, a 

1, Eighteen months in India. Nelson in an autobiographical Memoir 
states that he visited in the Seahorse “almost every part of the East 
Indies, from Bengal to Bussorah [Basra].”— Nelson’s Letters (ed. 
Laughton), p. 2. 





40 


The Life of Nelson 


radiant orb was suspended in his mind’s eye, which 
urged him onward to renown. The state of mind in 
which these feelings began, is what the mystics 1 mean 
by their season of darkness and desertion. If the ani¬ 
mal spirits fail, they represent it as an actual tempta¬ 
tion. The enthusiasm of Nelson’s nature had taken a 
different direction, but its essence was the same. He 
knew to what the previous state of dejection was to be 
attributed; that an enfeebled body, and a mind de¬ 
pressed, had cast this shade over his soul: but he always 
seemed willing to believe, that the sunshine which suc¬ 
ceeded bore with it a prophetic glory, and that the 
light which led him on was “light from heaven.” 2 

His interest, however, was far better than he imag¬ 
ined. During his absence Captain Suckling had been 
made Comptroller of the Navy; 3 his health had mate¬ 
rially improved upon the voyage; and, as soon as the 
Dolphin was paid off, he was appointed Acting Lieu¬ 
tenant in the Worcester , sixty-four, Captain Mark Rob¬ 
inson, then going out with convoy 4 to Gibraltar. Soon 
after his return, on the 8th of April, 1777, he passed his 
examination for a lieutenancy. Captain Suckling sat 
at the head of the board; and when the examination had 
ended, in a manner highly honorable to Nelson, rose 
from his seat, and introduced him to the examining 
captains as his nephew. They expressed their wonder 

1. Mystics. Those who trust the guidance of emotion rather than 
reason in matters of religious experience and faith. 

2. Light from Heaven. From Burns’s Vision: 

"But yet the light that led astray 
Was light from Ileaven.” 

3. Comptroller of the Nary. An important officer at the head of 
the so-called Navy Board, which, prior to its amalgamation with the 
Admiralty Board in 1832, exercised control over yards and docks, 
victualling, pay, and in general over the civil administration of the 
Navy. 

4. With convoy. With merchant vessels under her protection. 


The Life of Nelson 


41 


that he had not informed them of this relationship be¬ 
fore ; he replied, that he did not wish the younker to 
be favored; he knew his nephew would pass a good 
examination, and he had not been deceived. The next 
day Nelson received his commission as Second Lieu¬ 
tenant of the Loivestoffe frigate, Captain William 
Locker, 1 then fitting out for Jamaica. 

American and French privateers, under American 
colors, were at that time harassing our trade in the 
West Indies: even a frigate was not sufficiently active 
for Nelson, and he repeatedly got appointed to the com¬ 
mand of one of the Lowestoffe’s tenders. 2 During one 
of their cruises the Loivestoffe captured an American 
letter-of-marque : 3 it was blowing a gale, and a heavy 
sea running. The First Lieutenant being ordered to 
board the prize, went below to put on his hanger. 4 It 
happened to be mislaid; and, while he was seeking it, 
Captain Locker came on deck. Perceiving the boat 
still alongside, and in danger every moment of being 
swamped, and being extremely anxious that the priva¬ 
teer should be instantly taken in charge, because he 
feared that it would otherwise founder, he exclaimed, 
“Have I no officer in the ship who can board the prize?” 
Nelson did not offer himself immediately, waiting, with 
his usual sense of propriety, for the First Lieutenant’s 

1. Captain William Locker . Locker was a capable officer who had 
served under Admiral Hawke during the Seven Years’ War. The 
excellent principles and teaching of Ilawke in the art of naval war¬ 
fare may thus have been handed directly down to Nelson. “I have 
been your scholar,” wrote Nelson to Locker in 1799 ; ‘‘it is you who 
always told me, ‘Lay a Frenchman close, and you will beat him/ ”— 
Letters (ed. Laughton), p. 1S3. 

2. Tenders. Schooners or other small craft employed by a larger 
vessel for carrying dispatches, boarding prizes, and similar duties. 

3. Letter-of-marque. Applied to a privately owned vessel carrying a 
government commission (letter-of-marque) authorizing it to prey on 
enemy commerce. 

4. Hanger. A short, cut-and-thrust sword. 



42 


The Life of Nelson 


return: but bearing the Master 1 volunteer, be jumped 
into the boat, saying, 4 ‘ It is my turn now; and if I come 
back, it is yours.” The American, who had carried a 
heavy press of sail in hope of escaping, was so com¬ 
pletely water-logged, that the Loivestoffe’s boat went in 
on deck, and out again, with the sea. 

About this time he lost his uncle. Captain Locker, 
however, who had perceived the excellent qualities of 
Nelson, and formed a friendship for him, which con¬ 
tinued during his life, recommended him warmly to Sir 
Peter Parker, then Commander-in-Chief upon that sta¬ 
tion. In consequence of this recommendation he was 
removed into the Bristol flag-ship, and Lieutenant Cuth- 
bert Collingwood 2 succeeded him in the Lowestoffe. He 
soon became First Lieutenant ; and, on the 8th of De¬ 
cember, 1778, was appointed Commander of the Badger 
brig; Collingwood again succeeding him in the Bristol. 
While the Badger was lying in Montego Bay, Jamaica, 
the Glas'gow, of twenty guns, came in and anchored 
there, and in two hours was in flames, the steward hav¬ 
ing set fire to her while stealing rum out of the after¬ 
hold. Her crew were leaping into the water, when Nel¬ 
son came up in his boats, made them throw their powder 
overboard, and point their guns upward; and, by his 
presence of mind and personal exertions, prevented the 
loss of life which would otherwise have ensued. On the 
11th of June, 1779, he was made Post 3 into the Hinchin- 
brook, of twenty-eight guns, an enemy’s merchantman, 

1. Master. The sailing-master, a petty officer on war-vessels en¬ 
trusted with the navigation of the ship; inferior In rank to a lieu¬ 
tenant. 

2. Collingicood. Nelson’s second in command at Trafalgar. 

3. Post. Post captain, a title applied to officers actually holding 
commissions as captains and in command of vessels of the size to 
which their rank entitled them (20 guns or more), to distinguish them 
from acting captains and commanders of smaller vessels, who were 
often called captain by courtesy. 


The Life of Nelson 


43 


sheathed with wood, which had been taken into the 
service. A short time after he left the Lowestoffe, that 
ship, with a small squadron, stormed the fort of St. 
Fernando de Omoa, on the south side of the Bay of 
Honduras, and captured some register ships 1 which 
were lying under its guns. Two hundred and fifty 
quintals 2 of quicksilver, and three millions of piastres, 3 
were the reward of this enterprise: and it is character¬ 
istic of Nelson, that the chance by which he missed a 
share in such a prize is never mentioned in any of 
his letters; nor is it likely that it ever excited even a 
momentary feeling of vexation. 

Nelson was fortunate in possessing good interest at 
the time when it could be most serviceable to him: his 
promotion had been almost as rapid as it could be; and 
before he had attained the age of twenty-one he had 
gained that rank which brought ail the honors of the 
service within his reach. No opportunity, indeed, had 
yet been given him of distinguishing himself; but he 
was thoroughly master of his profession, and his zeal 
and ability were acknowledged wherever he was known. 
Count d’Estaing, 4 with a fleet of one hundred and 
twenty-five sail, men-of-war and transports, and a 
reputed force of five-and-twenty thousand men, threat¬ 
ened Jamaica from St. Domingo. Nelson offered his 
services to the Admiral and to Governor-general Dall- 
ing, and was appointed to command the batteries of 
Fort Charles at Port Royal. 5 Not more than seven 
thousand men could be mustered for the defence of the 

1. Register ships. Spanish vessels carrying money or plate. 

2. Quintals. Weights of about one hundred pounds. 

.*{. Piastres. Spanish coins about equivalent to an American dollar. 

4. D’Estaing. The French fleet under d’Estaing afterward fought 
Hood off Chesapeake Bay, preventing relief from reaching Cornwallis 
at Yorktown. 

5. Port Royal. Near Kingston, Jamaica. 



44 


The Life of Nelson 


island,—a number wholly inadequate to resist the force 
which threatened them. Of this Nelson was so well 
aware, that when he wrote to his friends in England, 
he told them they must not be surprised to hear of his 
learning to speak French. F’Estaing, however, was 
either not aware of his own superiority, or not equal to 
the command with which he was intrusted: he attempted 
nothing with this formidable armament; and General 
Falling was thus left to execute a project which he had 
formed against the Spanish colonies. 

This project was, to take Fort San Juan 1 on the river 
or that name, which flows from Lake Nicaragua into the 
Atlantic; make himself master of the lake itself, and of 
the cities of Grenada and Leon ; 2 and thus cut off the 
communication of the Spaniards between their northern 
and southern possessions in America. Here it is that a 
Canal between the two seas may most easily be formed; 
—a work more important in its consequences than any 
which has ever yet been effected by human power. Lord 
George Germaine, at that time Secretary of State for 
the American department, approved the plan: and as 
discontents at that time w r ere known to prevail in the 
Nuevo Reyno , 3 in Popavan , 4 and in Peru, the more san¬ 
guine part of the English began to dream of acquiring 
an empire in one part of America more extensive than 
that which they were on the point of losing in another . 5 
General Falling’s plans were well formed; but the his¬ 
tory and the nature of the country had not been studied 
as accurately as its geography: the difficulties which 

1. Fort San Juan. San Juan del Norte, or Greytown, Nicaragua. 

2. Grenada and Leon. Situated between Lake Nicaragua and the 
Pacific coast. 

3. Xuevo Reyno (Spanish for neic realm.) Mexico. 

4. Popayan. A city near the Pacific in the United States of Colom¬ 
bia ; perhaps formerly employed in referring to the west coast north of 
Peru. 

5. Losing in another. A reference to the American Revolution. 


The Life of Nelson 


45 


occurred in fitting out the expedition delayed it till 
the season was too far advanced; and the men were thus 
sent to adventure themselves, not so much against an 
enemy, whom they would have beaten, as against a cli¬ 
mate which would do the enemy’s work. 

Early in the year 1780, five hundred men, destined 
for this service, were convoyed by Nelson from Port 
Royal to Cape Gracias a Dios, in Honduras. Not a 
native was to be seen when they landed: they had been 
taught that the English came with no other intent than 
that of enslaving them, and sending them to Jamaica. 
After a while, however, one of them ventured down, 
confiding in his knowledge of one of the party; and by 
his means the neighboring tribes were conciliated with 
presents, and brought in. The troops were encamped 
on a swampy and unwholesome plain, where they were 
joined by a party of the 79th Regiment, from Black 
River, 1 who were already in a deplorable state of sick¬ 
ness. Having remained here a month, they proceeded, 
anchoring frequently, along the Mosquito shore 2 to col¬ 
lect their Indian allies, who were to furnish proper 
boats for the river, and to accompany them. They 
reached the river San Juan March 24th: and here, 
according to his orders, Nelson’s services were to ter¬ 
minate ; but not a man in the expedition had ever been 
up the river, or knew the distances of any fortification 
from its mouth: and he, not being one who would turn 
back when so much was to be done, resolved to carry 
the soldiers up. About two hundred, therefore, were 
embarked in the Mosquito shore-craft, and in two of the 
Hinchinbrook’s boats, and they began their voyage. It 
was the latter end of the dry season, the worst time for 

1. Black River. The Rio Tinto, Negro, or Black River, in Honduras, 
where there was a British settlement at this time. 

2. Mosquito shore. Part of the eastern coast of Nicaragua. 


46 


The Life of Nelson 


such an expedition; the river was consequently low: 
Indians were sent forward through narrow channels be¬ 
tween shoals and banks, and the men were frequently 
obliged to quit the boats, and exert their utmost strength 
to drag or thrust them along. This labor continued for 
several days, when they came into deeper water; they 
had then currents and rapids to contend with, which 
would have been insurmountable, but for the skill of 
the Indians in such difficulties. The brunt of the labor 
was borne by them and by the sailors—men never accus¬ 
tomed to stand aloof when any exertion of strength or 
hardihood is required. The soldiers, less accustomed 
to rely upon themselves, w r ere of little use. But all 
equally endured the violent heat of the sun rendered 
more intense by being reflected from the white shoals, 
while the high woods on both sides of the river were fre¬ 
quently so close as to prevent all refreshing circulation 
of air; and during the night all were equally exposed to 
the heavy and unwholesome dews. 

On the 9th of April they reached an island in the 
river called St. Bartolomeo, which the Spaniards had 
fortified, as an out-post, with a small semi-circular bat¬ 
tery, mounting nine or ten swivels, 1 and manned with 
sixteen or eighteen men. It commanded the river in a 
rapid and difficult part of the navigation. Nelson, at 
the head of a few of his seamen, leaped upon the beach. 
The ground upon which he sprung was so muddy, that 
he had some difficulty in extricating himself, and lost 
his shoes: bare-footed, however, he advanced, and, in 
his own phrase, boarded the battery. In this resolute 
attempt he was bravely supported by the well-known 
Despard, 2 at that time a captain in the army. The Castle 

1. Swivels. Small guns mounted on pivots so that they may be 
turned freely to right or left. 

2. Despard. Hanged In 1S03 for conspiring to assassinate George 
III. 


The Life of Nelson 


47 


of St. Juan is situated about sixteen miles higher up: 
the stores and ammunition, however, were landed a few 
miles below the castle, and the men had to march 
through woods almost impassable. One of the men was 
bitten under the eye by a snake, which darted upon him 
from the bough of a tree. He was unable to proceed 
from the violence of the pain: and when, after a short 
while, some of his comrades were sent back to assist 
him, he was dead, and the body already putrid. Nelson 
himself narrowly escaped a similar fate. He had ordered 
his hammock to be slung under some trees, being exces¬ 
sively fatigued, and was sleeping, when a monitory 
lizard passed across his face. The Indians happily ob¬ 
served the reptile, and, knowing what it indicated, awoke 
him. He started up, and found one of the deadliest 
serpents of the country coiled up at his feet. He suf¬ 
fered from poison of another kind; for, drinking at a 
spring in which some boughs of the manchineel had 
been thrown, the effects were so severe, as, in the opinion 
of some of his friends, to inflict a lasting injury upon his 
constitution. 

The Castle of St. Juan, is thirty-two miles below the 
Lake of Nicaragua, from which the river issues, and six¬ 
ty-nine from its mouth. Boats reach the sea from thence 
in a day and a half; but their navigation back, even 
when unladen, is the labor of nine days. The English 
appeared before it on the 11th, two days after they had 
taken St. Bartolomeo. Nelson’s advice was, that it 
should instantly be carried by assault: but Nelson was 
not the commander; and it was thought proper to ob¬ 
serve all the formalities of a siege. Ten days were 
wasted before this could be commenced: it was a work 
more of fatigue than of danger; but fatigue was more to 
be dreaded than the enemy; the rains set in: and, could 
the garrison have held out a little longer, disease would 


48 


The Life of Nelson 


have rul them of their invaders. Even the Indians sunk 
under it, the victims of unusual exertion, and of their 
own excesses. The place surrendered on the 24th. But 
victory procured to the conquerors none of that relief 
which had been expected; the Castle was worse than a 
prison; and it contained nothing which could contribute 
to the recovery of the sick, or the preservation of those 
who were yet unaffected. The huts, which served for 
hospitals, were surrounded with filth and with the putre¬ 
fying hides of slaughtered cattle—almost sufficient of 
themselves, to have engendered pestilence: and when, 
at last, orders were given to erect a convenient hospital, 
the contagion had become so general, that there were 
none who could work at it; for, besides the few w r ho 
w r ere able to perform garrison duty, there were not 
orderly men 1 enough to assist the sick. Added to these 
evils, there was the w r ant of all needful remedies; for, 
though the expedition had been amply provided w T ith 
hospital stores, river craft enough had not been pro¬ 
cured for transporting the requisite baggage; and when 
much was to he left behind, provision for sickness was 
that which of all things men in health would he most 
ready to leave. Now, when these medicines "were re¬ 
quired, the river was swollen, and so turbulent, that 
its upward navigation was almost impracticable. At 
length, even the task of burying the dead was more than 
the living could perform, and the bodies were tossed 
into the stream, or left for beasts of prey, and for the 
gallinazos 2 —those dreadful carrion-birds, which do not 
always w r ait for death before they begin their w r ork. Five 
months the English persisted in what may be called this 
war against nature; they then left a few men, who 
seemed proof against the climate, to retain the Castle 

1. Orderly men. Hospital attendants. 

2. Gallinazos. Buzzards. 


The Life of Nelson 


49 


till the Spaniards should choose to retake it, and make 
them prisoners. The rest abandoned their baleful con¬ 
quest. Eighteen hundred men were sent to different 
posts upon this wretched expedition; not more than 
three hundred and eighty ever returned. The Hinchin - 
brook's complement consisted of two hundred men; 
eighty-seven took to their beds in one night, and of the 
whole crew not more than ten survived. 

Nelson himself was saved by a timely removal. In a 
few days after the commencement of the siege, he was 
seized with the prevailing dysentery: meantime Captain 
Glover (son of the author of “Leonidas” 1 ) died, and 
Nelson was appointed to succeed him in the Janus , of 
forty-four guns. He returned to the harbor the day 
before St. Juan surrendered, and immediately sailed 
for Jamaica in the sloop which brought the news of his 
appointment. He was, however, so greatly reduced by 
the disorder, that when they reached Port Royal he was 
carried ashore in his cot; and finding himself, after a 
partial amendment, unable to retain the command of 
his new ship, he was compelled to ask leave to return to 
England, as the only means of recovery. Captain (after¬ 
wards Admiral) Cornwallis 2 took him home in the Lion; 

and to his care and kindness Nelson believed himself in- 

* . 

debted for his life. He went immediately to Bath, in a 
miserable state: so helpless, that he was carried to and 
from his bed; and the act of moving him produced the 
most violent pain. In three months he recovered, and 
immediately hastened to London, and applied for em¬ 
ployment. After an interval of about four months he 
was appointed to the Albemarle, of twenty-eight guns, 

1. Author of “Leonidas ” Richard Glover (1712-1785). Leonidas, 
his best-known poem, Is an epic In praise of liberty. 

2. Cornwallis, A captain during the American War of Independence, 
and an admiral during the War of the French Revolution ; he was 
brother to Lord Cornwallis, who surrendered at Yorktown. 




50 The Life of Nelson 

a French merchantman, which had been purchased from 
the captors for the King’s service. 

Ilis health was not yet thoroughly re-established; 
and while he was employed in getting his ship ready, 
he again became so ill as hardly to be able to keep out 
of bed. Yet in this state, still suffering from the fatal 
effect of a West Indian climate, as if it might almost 
be supposed, he said, to try his constitution, he was 
sent to the North Seas, and kept there the whole winter. 
The asperity with which he mentioned this so many 
years afterwards, evinces how deeply he resented a 
mode of conduct equally cruel to the individual and 
detrimental to the service. It was during the Armed 
Neutrality and when they anchored off Elsinore, 1 2 the 
Danish Admiral sent on board, desiring to be informed 
what ships had arrived, and to have their force written 
down. ‘‘The Albemarle,” said Nelson to the messenger, 
“is one of his Britannic Majesty’s ships: you are at 
liberty, sir, to count the guns as you go down the side; 
and you may assure the Danish Admiral, that, if neces¬ 
sary, they shall all be well served.” During this voy¬ 
age he gained a considerable knowledge of the Danish 
coast, and its soundings: greatly to the advantage of 
his country in after-times. The Albctnarle was not a 
good ship, and was several times nearly overset, in con¬ 
sequence of the masts having been made much too long 
for her. On her return to England they were short¬ 
ened, and some other improvements made, at Nelson’s 
suggestion. Still he always insisted that her first owners, 
the French, had taught her to run away, as she was 

1. Armed Neutrality. An alliance entered Into hy Russia, Denmark. 
Sweden, and other nations to prevent the British practice of seizing 
goods shipped in neutral vessels to the ports of France and Spain. For 
its revival in 1S00, see p. 243 and note. 

2. Elsinore. A fortified Danish port at the narrowest part of the 
Sound connecting the Cattegat and the Baltic. See p. 250. 




Tiie Life of Nelson 


51 


never a good sailer, except wlien going directly before 
the wind. 

On their return to the Downs, 1 while he was ashore 
visiting the Senior Officer, there came on so heavy a 
gale that almost all the vessels drove, and a store-ship 
came athwart-hawse 2 of the Albemarle. Nelson feared 
she would drive on the Goodwin Sands: he ran to the 
beach; but even the Deal boatmen thought it impossible 
to get on board, such was the violence of the storm. At 
length some of the most intrepid offered to make the 
attempt for fifteen guineas : 8 and, to the astonishment 
and fear of all the beholders, he embarked during the 
height of the tempest. With great difficulty and immi¬ 
nent danger he succeeded in reaching her. She lost her 
bowsprit and foremast, but escaped further injury. He 
was now ordered to Quebec; where, his surgeon tcld 
him, he would certainly be laid up by the climate. 
Many of his friends urged him to represent this to 
Admiral Keppel: but, having received his orders from 
Lord Sandwich, there appeared to him an indelicacy in 
applying to his successor 4 to have them altered. 

Accordingly he sailed for Canada. During her first 
cruise on that station, the Albemarle captured a fishing 
schooner, which contained, in her cargo, nearly all the 
property that her master possessed, and the poor fellow 
had a large family at home, anxiously expecting him. 
Nelson employed him as a pilot in Boston Bay, then 
restored him the schooner and cargo, and gave him a 
certificate to secure him against being captured by any 

1. The Downs. A roadstead on the English side of the Straits of 
Dover, bordered on the northeast by the banks known as the Goodwin 

Sands. 

, 2. Atliwart-liawse. Across the how. 

3. Guineas. A guinea is 21 shillings; a shilling is worth about 24 
cents. 

4. His successor. Keppel succeeded Lord Sandwich as Firfft Lord 
of the Admiralty March 20, 1782. 



52 


The Life of Nelson 


other vessel. The man came off afterwards to the 
Albemarle , at the hazard of his life, with a present of 
sheep, poultry, and fresh provisions. A most valuable 
supply it proved; for the scurvy was raging on board: 
this was in the middle of August, and the ship’s com¬ 
pany had not had a fresh meal since the beginning of 
April. The certificate 1 was preserved at Boston in 
memory of an act of unusual generosity; and now that 
the fame of Nelson has given interest to everything con¬ 
nected with his name, it is regarded as a relic. The 
Albemarle had a narrow escape upon this cruise. Four 
French sail of the line and a frigate, which had come 
out of Boston Harbor, gave chase to her; and Nelson, 
perceiving that they beat him in sailing, boldly ran 
among the numerous shoals of St. George’s Bank, 2 con¬ 
fiding in his own skill in pilotage. Captain Salter, in 
the St. Margaretta, had escaped the French fleet, by a 
similar maneuver, not long before. The frigate alone 
continued warily to pursue him; but as soon as he per¬ 
ceived that his enemy was unsupported he shortened 
sail, and hove-to: upon which the Frenchman thought it 


1. Certificate. The vessel captured was the Harmony of Plymouth. 
Her skipper, Nathaniel Carver, piloted Nelson through the narrow 
channel between Cape Cod and Nantucket, thus enabling him to escape 
the deep-draught French ships which had learned of the Albemarle’s 
presence and were in pursuit. Later, in August, 1782, Nelson re-entered 
Massachusetts Bay, still retaining the Harmony as tender. Captain 
Carver and the owner, Thomas Davis, visited the ship, dined with 
Nelson, and received the following certificate, still preserved by the 
owner’s descendants : 

These are to certify that I took the Schooner Harmony,, Nathaniel 
Carver, Master, belonging to Plymouth, but on acct. of his good serv¬ 
ices have given him up his vessel again. 

Dated on bd Ills Majesty’s Ship Albemarle, 17 Aug. 1782, in Boston 
Bay. Horatio Nelson. 

(From Southey’s Life of Nelson, edited by Edwin L. Miller, N. Y., 
1808.) 

2. >8#. George's Bank. About one hundred miles east of Cape Cod. 


The Life of Nelson 


53 


advisable to give over the pursuit, and sail in quest of 
his consorts. 

At Quebec, Nelson became acquainted with Alexan¬ 
der Davison, by whose interference he was prevented 
from making what would have been called an impru¬ 
dent marriage. The Albemarle was about to leave the 
station, her captain had taken leave of his friends, and 
was gone down the river to the place of anchorage: 
when, the next morning, as Davison was walking on the 
oeach, to his surprise lie saw Nelson coming back in his 
boat. Upon inquiring the cause of this reappearance, 
Nelson took his arm, to walk towards the town, and told 
him he found it utterly impossible to leave Quebec with¬ 
out again seeing the woman whose society had contrib¬ 
uted so much to his happiness there, and offering her 
his hand.—“If you do,” said his friend, “your utter 
ruin must inevitably follow.”—“Then let it follow,” 
cried Nelson, “for I am resolved to do it.”—“And I,” 
replied Davison, “am resolved you shall not.” Nelson, 
however, upon this occasion, was less resolute than his 
friend, and suffered himself to be led back to the boat. 

The Albemarle w r as under orders to convoy a fleet of 
transports to New York.—“A very pretty job,” said 
her Captain, “at this late season of the year” (October 
was far advanced), “for our sails are at this moment 
frozen to the yards.” On his arrival at Sandy Hook 
he waited on the Commander-in-Chief, Admiral Digby, 
who told him he was come on a fine station for making 
prize-money. “Yes, sir,” Nelson made answer; “but 
the West Indies is the station for honor.” Lord Hood, 
with a detachment of Rodney’s victorious fleet, 1 was 
at that time in Sandy Hook: he had been intimate with 

1. Rodney’s victorious fleet. Rodney had defeated Admiral de 
Grasse at the Battle of the Saints’ Passage, West Indies, April 12, 
1782. 






54 


The Life of Nelson 


Captain Suckling; and Nelson, who was desirous of 
nothing but honor, requested him to ask for the Albe¬ 
marle, that he might go to that station where it was 
most likely to be obtained. Admiral Digby reluctantly 
parted with him. His professional merit was already 
well known: and Lord Hood, on introducing him-to 
Prince "William Henry, as the Duke of Clarence 1 was 
then called, told the prince, if he wished to ask any 
question respecting naval tactics, Captain Nelson could 
give him as much information as any officer in the 
fleet. The duke, who, to his own honor, became from 
that time the firm friend of Nelson, describes him as 
appearing the merest boy of a captain he had ever seen, 
dressed in a full-lace uniform, an old-fashioned waist¬ 
coat with long flaps, and his lank unpowdered hair tied 
in a stiff Hessian tail 2 of extraordinary length; making 
altogether so remarkable a figure, “that,” says the 
duke, “I had never seen anything like it before, nor 
could I imagine who he was, nor what he came about. 
But his address and conversation were irresistibly pleas¬ 
ing ; and when he spoke on professional subjects, it was 
with an enthusiasm that showed he was no common 
being.” 

It was expected that the French would attempt some 
of the passages between the Bahamas: and Lord Hood, 
thinking of this, said to Nelson, “I suppose, sir, from 
the length of time you were cruising among the Bahama 
Keys, you must be a good pilot there?” He replied, 
with that constant readiness to render justice to every 
man, which was so conspicuous in all his conduct through 
life, that he was well acquainted with them himself, but 

1. DuJcc of Clarence . Thou a midshipman on board the Barfleur; 
afterwards King William IV of England. 

2. TTessian tail. Hessian troops, including those in British service, 
wore pig-tails until 1820, long after they had ceased to be a general 
fashion. 


The Life of Nelson 


55 


that in that respect his second lieutenant was far his 
superior. The French got into Puerto Cabello on the 
coast of Venezuela. Nelson was cruising between that 
port and La Guayra, under French colors, for the pur¬ 
pose of obtaining information, when a king’s launch, 
belonging to the Spaniards, passed near, and being 
hailed in French, came alongside without suspicion, and 
answered all questions that were asked concerning the 
number and force of the enemy’s ships. The crew, how¬ 
ever, were not a little surprised when they were taken 
on board, and found themselves prisoners. One of the 
party went by the name of Count de Deux Ponts. He 
was, however, a prince of the German empire, and 
brother to the heir of the Electorate of Bavaria: his 
companions were French officers of distinction, and 
men of science, who had been collecting specimens in 
the various branches of natural history. Nelson, having 
entertained them with the best his table could afford, 
told them they were at liberty to depart with their boat 
and all that it contained: he only required them to 
promise that they would consider themselves as prisoners, 
if the Commander-in-Chief should refuse to acquiesce 
in their being thus liberated: a circumstance which was 
not by any means likely to happen. Tidings soon ar¬ 
rived that the preliminaries of peace 1 had been signed; 
and the Albemarle returned to England, and was paid 
off. Nelson’s first business, after he got to London, 
even before he went to see his relations, was to attempt 
to get the wages due to his men, for the various ships in 
which they had served during the war. “The disgust of 
seamen to the navy,” he said, “was all owing to the 
infernal plan of turning them over from ship to ship; 

1. Preliminaries of peace. The treaty of peace at the close of the 
American Revolution, signed November 30, 17S2, and ratified in Sep¬ 
tember, 1783. 


56 


The Life of Nelson 


so that men could not be attached to the officers, nor 
the officers care the least about the men.” Yet he him¬ 
self was so beloved by his men, that his whole ship’s 
company offered, if he could get a ship, to enter for her 
immediately. He was now, for the first time, presented 
at court. After going through this ceremony, he dined 
with his friend Davison, at Lincoln’s Inn. 1 As soon as 
he entered the chambers he threw off what he called his 
iron-bound coat, and putting himself at ease in a dress¬ 
ing-gown, passed the remainder of the day in talking 
over all that had befallen them since they parted on the 
shore of the River St. Lawrence. 

1. Lincoln’s Inn. One of the famous London Inns of Court, occu¬ 
pied by lawyers and law students. 


CHAPTER II 


Nelson goes to France during the peace—Re-appointed to tho 
Boreas, and stationed at the Leeward Islands—His firm conduct 
concerning the American interlopers and the contractors—The West 
Indies—Marries and returns to England—Is on the point of quit¬ 
ting the service in disgust—Manner of life while unemployed— Ap¬ 
pointed to the Agamemnon on the breaking out of the war of the 
French Revolution. 

“I have closed the war,” said Nelson, in one of his 

letters, “without a fortune; but there is not a speck 

in my character. True honor, I hope, predominates in 

my mind far above riches.” He did not apply for a 

ship, because he was not wealthy enough to live on 

board in the manner which was then become customarv. 

, */ 

Finding it, therefore, prudent to economize to his half¬ 
pay 1 during the peace, he went to France, in company 
with Captain Macnamara, of the navy, and took lodg¬ 
ings at St. Omer’s. 2 The death of his favorite sister, 
Anne, who died in consequence of going out of the ball¬ 
room, at Bath, when heated with dancing, affected his 
father so much, that it had nearly occasioned him to 
return in a few weeks. Time, however, and reason and 
religion, overcame this grief in the old man; and Nelson 
continued at St. Omer’s long enough to fall in love with 
the daughter of an English clergyman. This second 
attachment appears to have been less ardent than the 
first; for, upon weighing the evils of a straightened in¬ 
come to a married man, he thought it better to leave 

1. Half-pay. Reduced pay allowed officers not in active service. 

2. St. Omer's. A city in the extreme north of France, near Calais. 


58 


The Life of Nelson 


France, assigning to his friends something in his ac¬ 
counts as the cause. This prevented him from accepting 
an invitation from the Count of Deux Ponts 1 to visit 
him at Paris, couched in the handsomest terms of ac¬ 
knowledgment for the treatment which he had received 
on board the Albemarle. 

The self-constraint which Nelson exerted in subduing 
this attachment, made him naturally desire to be at sea : 
and when, upon visiting Lord Howe 2 at the Admiralty, 
he was asked if he wished to be employed, he made 
answer, that he did. Accordingly, in March, he was 
appointed to the Boreas, twenty-eight guns, going to the 
Leeward Islands, as a cruiser, on the peace establish¬ 
ment. 3 Lady Hughes and her family went out with 
him to Admiral Sir Richard Hughes, who commanded 
on that station. His ship w T as full of young Midship¬ 
men, of whom there were not less than thirty on board; 
and happy were they whose lot it was to he placed with 
such a captain. If he perceived that a boy was afraid 
at first going aloft, he would say to him, in a friendly 
manner: “Well, sir, I am going a race to the mast-head, 
and beg that I may meet you there.” The poor little 
fellow instantly began to climb, and got up how he 
could,—Nelson never noticed in what manner, but when 
they met in the top, spoke cheerfully to him, and would 
say, how much any person was to be pitied who fancied 
that getting up was either dangerous or difficult. Every 
day he went into the school-room, to see that they were 
pursuing their nautical studies; and at noon he was 

1. Count of Deux Ponts. See p. 55. 

2. Lord Howe (1725-1799). Commander of the British fleet on the 
American coast, 1770-7S ; First Lord of the Admiralty, 1783-88; in 
command at the victory over the French fleet on .Tune 1, 1794. 

3. Cruiser, on the peace establishment. In time of peace war ves¬ 
sels were detailed to move from station to station, taking the place 
of ships put out of commission. 


The Life of Nelson 


59 


always the first on deck with his quadrant. 1 Whenever 
he paid a visit of ceremony, some of these youths accom¬ 
panied him: and when he went to dine with the Gov¬ 
ernor of Barbados lie took one of them in his hand, and 
presented him, saying, “Your Excellency must excuse 
me for bringing one of my Midshipmen. I make it a 
rule to introduce them to all the good company I can, 
as they have few to look up to, besides myself, during 
the time they are at sea.” 

When Nelson arrived in the West Indies he found 
himself senior Captain, and consequently second in 
command on that station. Satisfactory as this was, it 
soon involved him in a dispute with the Admiral, which 
a man less zealous for the service might have avoided. 
He found the Latona in English Harbor, Antigua, 
with a broad pendant 2 hoisted; and, upon inquiring the 
reason, was presented with a written order from Sir 
R. Hughes, requiring and directing him to obey the 
orders of Resident Commissioner Moutray, during the 
time he might have occasion to remain there; the said 
resident commissioner being, in consequence, author¬ 
ized to hoist a broad pendant on board any of his 
Majesty’s ships in that port that he might think proper. 
Nelson was never at a loss how to act in any emergency. 
“I know of no superior officers,” said he, “besides the 
Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty and my seniors 
on the Post list.” 3 Concluding, therefore, that it was 
not consistent with the service for a resident commis¬ 
sioner, who held only a civil situation, to hoist a broad 
pendant, the moment that he had anchored he sent an 

1. Quadrant. An instrument for measuring the altitude, or angle 
above the horizon, of heavenly bodies, to determine latitude and longi¬ 
tude. If weather permits, observations are always taken at noon. 

2 Broad pendant. A square, swallow-tailed flag, hoisted by the 
officer in supreme command on a station. 

3. rout list. The official list of full-grade captains. 


60 


The Life of Nelson 


order to the captain of the Latona to strike it, and 
return it to the dock-yard. He went on shore the same 
day, dined with the commissioner, to show him that lie 
was actuated by no other motive than a sense of 
duty, and gave him the first intelligence that this pen¬ 
dant had been struck. Sir Richard sent an account 
of this to the Admiralty; but the case could admit 
of no doubt, and Captain Nelson’s conduct was ap¬ 
proved. 1 

He displayed the same promptitude on another occa¬ 
sion. While the Boreas, after the hurricane months 2 
were over, was riding at anchor in Nevis Roads, a 
French frigate passed to leeward, close along shore. 
Nelson had obtained information that this ship was sent 
from Martinique, with two general officers and some en¬ 
gineers on board, to make a survey of our sugar islands. 
This purpose he was determined to prevent them from 
executing, and therefore he gave orders to follow them. 
The next day he came up with them at anchor in the 
roads of St. Eustatia, and anchored at about two cables’ j 
length 3 on the frigate’s quarter. 4 Being afterwards in¬ 
vited by the Dutch governor to meet the French officers 
at dinner, he seized that occasion of assuring the French 
captain that, understanding it was his intention to honor 
the British possessions with a visit, he had taken the 

1. Conduct was approved. Moutray was a naval officer twenty years 
senior to Nelson but not In active service. Both be and Nelson re¬ 
ported the matter to the Admiralty, which returned no further com¬ 
ment than that Nelson “would have done well to have submitted his 
doubts to the commander-in-chief, instead of taking upon himself to 
control Mr. Moutrny’s exercise of the functions of his appointment.”— 
Letters (ed. Laughton), p. 31. 

2. Hurricane months. August, September, and October. 

3. Cable's length. The length of a cable is about 120 fathoms, or 
720 feet 

4. On the frigate's quarter. Astern of her and bearing about 4.*> 
degrees to the right or left. The quarter is that part of a vessel’s 
side from opposite the mainmast to the stern. 








The Life of Nelson 


61 


earliest opportunity in his power to accompany him, 
in his Majesty’s ship the Boreas, in order that such 
attention might be paid to the officers of his Most Chris¬ 
tian Majesty as every Englishman in the islands would 
be proud to show. The French, with equal courtesy, 
protested against giving him this trouble ; especially, they 
said, as they intended merely to cruise round the islands, 
without landing on any. But Nelson, with the utmost 
politeness, insisted upon paying them this compliment, 
followed them close, in spite of all their attempts to elude 
his vigilance, and never lost sight of them till, finding 
it impossible either to deceive or escape him, they gave 
up their treacherous purpose in despair, and beat up 
for Martinique. 

A business of more serious import soon engaged his 
attention. The Americans were at this time trading 
with our islands, taking advantage of the register of 
their ships, which had been issued while they were 
British subjects. Nelson knew that, by the Navigation 
Act, 1 no foreigners, directly or indirectly, are permitted 
to carry on any trade with these possessions: he knew, 
also, that the Americans had made themselves foreign¬ 
ers with regard to England; they had broken the ties 
of blood and language, and acquired the independence 
which they had been provoked to claim, unhappily for 
themselves, before they were fit for it; and he was 
resolved that they should derive no profit from those 
ties. Foreigners they had made themselves, and as for¬ 
eigners they were to be treated. “If once,” said he, 
“they are admitted to any kind of intercourse with our 
islands, the views 2 of the Loyalists, in settling at Nova 

1. Navigation Act. An act, first established under Cromwell and in 
force with slight changes until 1S49, by which all trade with Great 
Britain and her colonies was reserved to vessels of British registry, 
manned in three-fourths part by British subjects. 

2. Views. Expectations. 


The Life of Nelson 


r2 

Scotia, are entirely done away; and when w T e are again 
embroiled in a French war, the Americans will first 
become the carriers of these colonies, and then have 
possession of them. Here they come, sell their cargoes 
for ready money, go to Martinique, buy molasses, and so 
round and round. TIiq Loyalist cannot do this, and 
consequently must sell a little dearer. The residents 
here are Americans by connection and by interest, and 
are inimical to Great Britain. They are as great rebels 
as ever were in America, had they the power to show 
it.” In November, when the squadron, having arrived 
at Barbados, was to separate, with no other orders than 
those for examining anchorages, and the usual inquiries 
concerning wood and water, Nelson asked his friend 
Collingwood, then Captain of the Mediator, whose 
opinions he knew upon the subject, to accompany him to 
the Commander-in-Chief, whom he then respectfully 
asked, whether they were not to attend to the commerce 
of the country, and see that the Navigation Act was 
respected—that appearing to him to be the intent of 
keeping men-of-war upon this station in time of peace? 
Sir Richard Hughes replied, he had no particular or¬ 
ders, neither had the Admiralty sent him any acts of 
parliament. But Nelson made answer, that the Naviga¬ 
tion Act was included in the statutes of the Admiralty, 
with which every captain was furnished, and that Act 
was directed to admirals, captains, etc., to see it carried 
into execution. Sir Richard said, he had never seen 
the book. Upon this Nelson produced the statutes, read 
the words of the Act, and apparently convinced the 
Commander-in-Chief, that men-of-war, as he said, “were 
sent abroad for some other purpose than to be made a 
show of.” Accordingly, orders were given to enforce 
the Navigation Act, 

Major-General Sir Thomas Shirley was at this time 













The Life of Nelson 


63 


Governor of the Leeward Islands j 1 and when Nelson 
waited on him to inform him how he intended to act, 
and upon what grounds, he replied, that “Old generals 
were not in the habit of taking advice from young gen¬ 
tlemen. ”—“Sir,” said the young officer, with that con¬ 
fidence in himself which never carried him too far, and 
always was equal to the occasion, “I am as old as the 
Prime Minister of England, 2 and think myself as capa¬ 
ble of commanding one of his Majesty’s ships as that 
minister is of governing the state.” Tie was resolved 
to do his duty, whatever might be the opinion or con¬ 
duct of others; and when he arrived upon his station at 
St. Kitt’s, he sent away all the Americans, not choos¬ 
ing to seize them before they had been well apprised that 
the Act would be carried into effect, lest it might seem 
as if a trap had been laid for them. The Americans, 
though they prudently decamped from St. Kitt’s, were 
emboldened by the support they met with, and resolved 
to resist his orders, alleging that the King’s ships had 
no legal power to seize them without having deputations 3 
from the Customs. The planters were to a man against 
him; the Governors and the Presidents of the different 
islands, with only a single exception, gave him no sup¬ 
port; and the Admiral, afraid to act on either side, yet 
wishing to oblige the planters, sent him a note, advising 
him to be guided by the wishes of the President of the 
Council. There was no danger in disregarding this, as 
it came unofficially, and in the form of advice. But 
scarcely a month after he had shown Sir Kichard 

1. Leeward Islands. With the Windward Islands, farther north, 
they form a chain called the Lesser Antilles, extending from Forto 
Rico toward the South American coast. The names Windward and 
Leeward are explained by the prevailing trade winds, which blow from 
the northeast. 

2. Prime Minister of England. William Pitt (1759-180G). a year 
younger than Nelson. 

3. Deputations. Authorization to act as deputy. 


64 


The Life of Nelson 


Hughes the law, and, as he supposed, satisfied him con¬ 
cerning it, he received an order from him, stating that 
he had now obtained good advice upon the point, and 
the Americans were not to be hindered from coming, 
and having free egress and regress, if the Governor 
chose to permit them. An order to the same purport 
had been sent round to the different Governors and 
Presidents; and General Shirley and others informed 
him, in an authoritative manner, that they chose to 
admit American ships, as the Commander-in-Chief had 
left the decision to them. These persons, in his own 
words, he soon “trimmed up, and silenced”; but it was 
a more delicate business to deal with the Admiral. “I 
must either,” said he, “disobey my orders, or disobey 
acts of Parliament. I determined upon the former, 
trusting to the uprightness of my intentions, and believ¬ 
ing that my country would not let me be ruined for 
protecting her commerce.” "With this determination he 
wrote to Sir Richard, appealed again to the plain, lit¬ 
eral, unequivocal sense of the Navigation Act, and in 
respectful language told him, he felt it his duty to de¬ 
cline obeying these orders till he had an opportunity 
of seeing and conversing with him. Sir Richard’s first 
feeling was that of anger, and he was about to super¬ 
sede Nelson; but having mentioned the affair to his 
Captain, that officer told him he believed all the squad¬ 
ron thought the orders illegal, and therefore did not 
know how far they were bound to obey them. It was 
impossible, therefore, to bring Nelson to a court- 
martial, 1 composed of men who agreed with him in 
opinion upon the point in dispute; and luckily, though 
the Admiral wanted vigor of mind to decide upon what 

1. Court martial. The judges in such a court-martial would have 
been from five to nine fellow-officers, at least a majority senior In 
rank to the accused. 


The Life of Nelson 


65 


was right, lie was not obstinate in wrong, and had even 
generosity enough in his nature to thank Nelson after¬ 
wards for having shown him his error. 

Collingwood, in the Mediator, and his brother, Wil¬ 
fred Collingwood, in the Rattler , actively co-operated 
with Nelson The custom-houses were informed, that 
after a certain day all foreign vessels found in the ports 
would be seized; and many were in consequence seized, 
and condemned in the Admiralty Court. When the 
Boreas arrived at Nevis, she found four American ves¬ 
sels deeply laden, and with what are called the island 
colors flying—white, with a red cross. They were or¬ 
dered to hoist their proper flag, and depart within eight- 
and-forty hours; but they refused to obey, denying that 
they were Americans. Some of their crews were then 
examined in Nelson’s cabin, where the Judge of the 
Admiralty happened to be present. The case was plain; 
they confessed that they were Americans, and that the 
ships, hull and cargo, were wholly American property: 
upon which he seized them. This raised a storm: the 
planters, the custom-house, and the Governor, were all 
against him. Subscriptions were opened and presently 
filled, for the purpose of carrying on the cause in behalf 
of the American captains: and the Admiral, whose flag 
was at that time in the road, 1 stood neutral. But the 
Americans and their abettors were not content with de¬ 
fensive law. The marines whom he had sent to secure 
the ships, had prevented some of the masters from going 
ashore; and those persons, by whose depositions it ap¬ 
peared that the vessels and cargoes were American 
property, declared that they had given their testimony 
under bodily fear, for that a man with a drawn sword 
in his hand had stood over them the whole of the time. 
A rascally lawyer, whom the party employed, suggested 

1. Flag in the road. Ills ship was off the port. 


66 


The Life of Nelson 


this story; and as the sentry at the cabin-door was a 
man with a drawn sword, the Americans made no 
scruple of swearing to this ridiculous falsehood, and 
commencing prosecutions against him accordingly. They 
laid their damages at the enormous amount of £40,000; 
and Nelson was obliged to keep close on board his own 
ship, lest he should be arrested for a sum for which it 
would have been impossible to find bail. The marshal 
frequently came on board to arrest him, but was always 
prevented by the address of the first lieutenant, Mr. 
Wallis. Had he been taken, such was the temper of the 
people, that it was certain he would have been cast 1 
for the whole sum. One of his officers, one day, in 
speaking of the restraint which he was thus compelled to 
suffer, happened to use the word pity! “Pity!” ex¬ 
claimed Nelson: “Pity! did you say? I shall live, sir, 
to be envied; and to that point I shall always direct my 
course.” Eight weeks he remained under this state of 
duress. During that time the trial respecting these de¬ 
tained ships came on in the Court of Admiralty. He 
went on shore under a protection for the da}' from the 
Judge: but, notwithstanding this, the marshal was called 
upon to take that opportunity of arresting him, and the 
merchants promised to indemnify him for so doing. 
The Judge, however, did his duty, and threatened to 
send the marshal to prison if he attempted to violate the 
protection of the court. Mr. Herbert, the President of 
Nevis, behaved with singular generosity upon this occa¬ 
sion. Though no man was a greater sufferer by the 
measures which Nelson had pursued, he offered in court 
to become his bail for £10,000, if he chose to suffer the 
arrest. The lawyer whom he had chosen proved to be 
an able as well as an honest man; and, notwithstanding 
the opinions and pleadings of most of the counsel of 

1. Cast. Forced by legal verdict to make payment. 


The Life of Nelson 


67 


the different islands, who maintained that ships of war 
were not justified in seizing American vessels without 
a ’deputation from the customs, the law was so explicit, 
the case so clear, and Nelson pleaded his own cause so 
well, that the four ships were condemned. During the 
progress of this business he sent a memorial home to 
the King: in consequence of which, orders were issued 
that he should be defended at the expense of the crown. 
And upon the representations which he made at the 
same time to the secretary of state, and the suggestions 
with which he accompanied them, the Register Act 1 was 
framed. The sanction of government, and the appro¬ 
bation of his conduct which it implied, were highly grati¬ 
fying to him: but he was offended, and not without just 
cause, that the Treasury should have transmitted thanks 
to the Commander-in-Chief for his activity and zeal in 
protecting the commerce of Great Britain. “Had they 
known all,” said he, “I do not think they would have 
bestowed thanks in that quarter, and neglected me. I 
feel much hurt, that, after the loss of health and risk of 
fortune, another should be thanked for what I did 
against his orders. I either deserved to be sent out of 
the service, or at least to have had some little notice 
taken of what I had done. They have thought it worthy 
of notice, and yet have neglected me. If this is the 
reward for a faithful discharge of my duty, I shall be 
careful, and never stand forward again. But I have 
done my duty, and have nothing to accuse myself of.” v 
The anxiety he had suffered from the harassing uncer¬ 
tainties of law, is apparent from these expressions. He 
had, however, something to console him, for he was at 
this time wooing the niece of his friend the President, 

1. Register Act. An act forbidding British registry to foreign-built 
ships, with the exception of prizes, and requiring British ships to 
register. 


GS 


The Life of Nelson 


then in her eighteenth year, the widow of Dr. Nisbet, a 
physician. She had one child, a son, by name Josiah, 
who was three years old. One day Mr. Herbert, who 
had hastened, half-dressed, to receive Nelson, exclaimed, 
on returning to his dressing-room, “Good God! if I did 
not find that great-little 1 man, of whom everybody is so 
afraid, playing in the next room, under the dining-table, 
with Mrs. Nisbet’s child!” A few days afterwards Mrs 
Nisbet herself was first introduced to him, and thanked 
him for the partiality which he had shown her little 
boy. Her manners were mild and winning: and the Cap¬ 
tain, whose heart was easily susceptible of attachment, 
found no such imperious necessity for subduing his in¬ 
clinations as had twice before withheld him from marry¬ 
ing. They were married on March 11, 1787: Prince 
William Henry, 2 who had come out to the West Indies 
the preceding winter, being present, by his own desire, 
to give away the bride. Mr. Herbert, her uncle, was 
at this time so much displeased with his only daughter, 
that he had resolved to disinherit her, and leave his 
whole fortune, which was very great, to his niece. But 
Nelson, whose nature was too noble to let him profit by 
an act of injustice, interfered, and succeeded in recon¬ 
ciling the President to his child. 

“Yesterday,” said one of his naval friends the day 
after the wedding, “the Navy lost one of its greatest 
ornaments, by Nelson’s marriage. It is a national loss 
that such an officer should marry: had it not been for 
this, Nelson would have become the greatest man in the 
service.” The man was rightly estimated: but he who 
delivered this opinion did not understand the effect of do¬ 
mestic love and duty upon a mind of the true heroic stamp. 

“We are often separate,” said Nelson, in a letter to 

1. Great-little. Nelson was short of stature and slight of frame. 

2. Prince William Henry. See p. 54, note 1. 


The Life of Nelson 


69 


Mrs. Nisbet, a few months before their marriage; “but 
our affections are not by any means on that account 
diminished. Our country has the first demand for our 
services; and private convenience or happiness must 
ever give way to the public good. Duty is the great busi¬ 
ness of a sea officer: all private considerations must give 
way to it, however painful.” “Have you not often 
heard/’ says he, in another letter, “that salt water and 
absence always wash away love? Now, I am such a 
heretic as not to believe in that article: for behold, every 
morning I have had six pails of salt water poured upon 
my head, and instead of finding what seamen say to be 
true, it goes on so contrary to the prescription, that you 
must, perhaps, see me before the fixed time.” More 
frequently his correspondence breathed a deeper strain. 
“To write letters to you,” says he, “is the next great¬ 
est pleasure I feel to receiving them from you. What I 
experience when I read such as I am sure are the pure 
sentiments of your heart, my poor pen cannot express; 
—nor, indeed, would I give much for any pen or head 
which could express feelings of that kind. Absent from 
you I feel no pleasure: it is you who are eve^thing to 
me. Without you, I care not for this world; for I have 
found, lately, nothing in it but vexation and trouble. 
These are my present sentiments. God Almighty grant 
they may never change! Nor do I think they will. In¬ 
deed there is, as far as human knowledge can judge, a 
moral certainty that they cannot: for it must be real 
affection that brings us together, and not interest or 
compulsion.” Such were the feelings, and such the 
sense of duty, with which Nelson became a husband. 

During his stay upon this station he had ample 
opportunity of observing the scandalous practices of 
the contractors, prize-agents , 1 and other persons in the 

1. Prize-agents. Agents entrusted with the sale of captured vessels. 


70 


The Life of Nelson 


West Indies connected with the naval service. When 
he was first left with the command, and bills were 
brought him to sign for money which was owing for 
goods purchased for the navy, he required the original 
vouchers, that he might examine whether those goods 
had been really purchased at the market price: but to 
produce vouchers would not have been convenient, and 
therefore was not the custom. Upon this Nelson wrote to 
Sir Charles Middleton, then Comptroller of the Navy, 
representing the abuses which were likely to be practiced 
in this manner. The answer which he received seemed 
to imply that the old forms "were thought sufficient: and 
thus, having no alternative, he was compelled, w T ith his 
eyes open, to submit to a practice originating in fraudu¬ 
lent intentions. Soon afterwards two Antigua mer¬ 
chants informed* him that they were privy to great 
frauds, which had been committed upon government in 
various departments: at Antigua, to the amount of 
nearly £500,000; at Lucia, £300,000; at Barbados, 
£250,000; at Jamaica, upwards of a million. The in¬ 
formers were both shrewd, sensible men of business; they 
did not affect to be actuated by a sense of justice, but 
required a percentage upon so much as government 
should actually recover through their means. Nelson 
examined the books and papers which they produced, 
and was convinced that government had been most in¬ 
famously plundered. Vouchers, he found, in that coun¬ 
try, were no check whatever: the principle was, “that 
a thing was always worth what it would bring:” and 
the merchants were in the habit of signing vouchers for 
each other, without even the appearance of looking at 
the articles. These accounts he sent home to the different 
departments which had been defrauded: but the pecu¬ 
lators were too powerful; and they succeeded not merely 
in impeding inquiry, but even in raising prejudices 


The Life of Nelson 71 

against Nelson at the board of Admiralty, which it was 
many years before he could subdue. 

Owing, probably, to these prejudices, and the influ¬ 
ence of the peculators, he was treated, on his return to 
England, in a manner which had nearly driven him 
from the service. During the three years that the 
Boreas had remained upon a station which is usually so 
fatal, not a single officer or man of her whole comple¬ 
ment had died. This almost unexampled instance of 
good health, though mostly, no doubt, imputable to a 
healthy season, must in some measure also be ascribed to 
the wise conduct of the Captain. He never suffered the 
ships to remain more than three or four weeks at a time 
at any of the islands, and when the hurricane months 
confined him to English Harbor, 1 he encouraged all 
kinds of useful amusements: music, dancing, and 
cudgelling among the men; theatricals among the offi¬ 
cers: anything which could employ their attention, and 
keep their spirits cheerful. The Boreas arrived in Eng¬ 
land in June. Nelson, who had many times been sup¬ 
posed to be consumptive when in the West Indies, and 
perhaps was saved from consumption by that climate, 
was still in a precarious state of health; and the raw, 
wet weather of one of our ungenial summers brought on 
cold, and sore throat, and fever; yet his vessel was kept 
at the Nore from the end of June till the end of No¬ 
vember, serving as a slop and receiving ship. 2 This 
unworthy treatment, which more probably proceeded 
from intention than from neglect, excited in Nelson the 
strongest indignation. During the whole five months 
he seldom or never quitted the ship, but carried on his 
duty with strict and sullen attention. On the morning 

1. English Harbor. Chief port of the Island of Antigua. 

2. Slop and receiving ship. A vessel stationed to receive impressed 
seamen or other naval recruits and supply them with clothing and 
equipment. Slops is the nautical term for sailors’ clothing. 


72 


The Life of Nelson 


when orders were received to prepare the Boreas for 
being paid off, he expressed his joy to the senior officer 
in the Medway; saying, “It will release me forever 
from an ungrateful service, for it is my firm and un¬ 
alterable determination, never again to set my foot 
on board a king’s ship. Immediately after my arrival 
in town I shall wait on the First Lord of the Admiralty, 
and resign my commission.” The officer to whom he 
thus communicated his intentions behaved in the wisest 
and most friendly manner; for.finding it vain to dis¬ 
suade him in his present state of feeling, he secretly 
interfered with the First Lord to save him from a step 
so injurious to himself, little foreseeing how deeply the 
welfare and honor of England were at that moment at 
stake. This interference produced a letter from Lord 
Howe, the day before the ship was paid off, intimating 
a wish to see Captain Nelson as soon as he arrived in 
town: when, being pleased with his conversation, and 
perfectly convinced by what was then explained to him, 
of the propriety of his conduct, he desired that he might 
present him to the King on the first levee day r 1 and the 
gracious manner in which Nelson was then received 
effectually removed his resentment. 

Prejudices had been, in like manner, excited against 
his friend, Prince William Henry. “Nothing is want¬ 
ing, sir,” said Nelson in one of his letters, “to make you 
the darling of the English nation, but truth. Sorry I 
am to say, much to the contrary has been dispersed.” 
This was not flattery; for Nelson was no flatterer. The 
letter in which this passage occurs shows in how wise 
and noble a manner he dealt with the prince. One of his 
Royal Highness’s officers had applied for a court-mar¬ 
tial upon a point in which he was unquestionably wrong. 
His Royal Highness, however, while he supported his 

1. Levee day. A day appointed for receptions at court. 


The Life of Nelson 


73 


own character and authority, prevented the trial, which 
must have been injurious to a brave and deserving man. 
“Now that you are parted,” said Nelson, “pardon me, 
my Prince, when I presume to recommend that he may 
stand in your royal favor as if he had never sailed with 
you, and that at some future day you will serve him. 
There only wants this to place your conduct in the high¬ 
est point of view. None of us are without failings; his, 
was being rather too hasty: but that, put into competi¬ 
tion with his being a good officer, will not, I am bold to 
say, be taken in the scale against him. More able friends 
than myself your Royal Highness may easily find, and 
of more consequence in the state; but one more attached 
and affectionate is not so easily met with. Princes 
seldom, very seldom, find a disinterested person to com¬ 
municate their thoughts to: I do not pretend to be that 
person; but of this be assured, by a man who, I trust, 
never did a dishonorable act, that I am interested only 
that your Royal Highness should be the greatest and 
best man this country ever produced.” 

Encouraged by the conduct of Lord Howe, and by 
his reception at court, Nelson renewed his attack upon 
the peculators with fresh spirit. He had interviews 
with Mr. Rose, Mr. Pitt, and Sir Charles Middleton, 1 to 
all of whom he satisfactorily proved his charges. In 
consequence, it is said, these very extensive public frauds 
were at length put in a proper train to be provided 
against in the future; his representations were attended 
to; and every step which he recommended was adopted; 
the investigation was put into a proper course, which 
ended in the detection and punishment of some of the 
culprits; an immense saving was made to government, 

1. Mr. Rose, Mr. Pitt, and Sir Charles Middleton. Pitt was Prime 
Minister ; Rose was a former naval officer and at this time Secretary 
to the Treasury; Middleton, later Lord Barham, was Comptroller of 

the Navy. 


74 


The Life of Nelson 


and thus its attention was directed to similar peculation 
in other parts of the colonies. But it is said also, that 
no mark of commendation seems to have been bestowed 
upon Nelson for his exertion. And it is justly re¬ 
marked,* that the spirit of the Navy cannot he preserved 
so effectually by the liberal honors bestowed on officers, 
when they are worn out in the service, as by an atten¬ 
tion to those who, like Nelson at this part of his life, 
have only their integrity and zeal to bring them into no¬ 
tice. A junior officer, who had been left with the com¬ 
mand at Jamaica, received an additional allowance, for 
which Nelson had applied in vain. Double pay was 
allowed to every artificer and seaman employed in the 
Naval Yard: Nelson had superintended the whole busi¬ 
ness of that yard with the most rigid exactness, and he 
complained that he was neglected. ‘ ‘ It was most true , 91 
he said, “that the trouble which he took to detect the 
fraudulent practices then carried on, was no more than 
his duty; but he little thought that the expenses attend¬ 
ing his frequent journeys to St. John’s upon that duty 
(a distance of twelve miles), would have fallen upon his 
pay as Captain of the Boreas.” Nevertheless, the sense 
of what he thought unworthy usage did not diminish his 
zeal. “I,” said he, “must still buffet the waves in search 
of—What? Alas! that they called honor is now thought 
of no more. My fortune, God knows, has grown worse 
for the service: so much for serving my country. But 
the devil, ever willing to tempt the virtuous, has made 
me offer, if any ships should be sent to destroy his 
Majesty of Morocco’s ports, to be there: and I have 
some reason to think, that, should any more come of it, 
my humble services ivill be accepted. I have invariably 
laid down, and followed close, a plan of what ought to 
be uppermost in the breast of an officer,—that it is much 
• Clarke and M’Arthur, vol. i., p. 107.— Southey’s Note. 


The Life of Nelson 


75 


better to serve an ungrateful country, than to give up 
his own fame. Posterity will do him justice. A uniform 
course of honor and integrity seldom fails of bringing a 
man to the goal of fame at last. ” 

The design against the Barbary pirates, 1 like all other 
designs against them, was laid aside; and Nelson took his 
wife to his father’s parsonage, meaning only to pay him 
a visit before they went to France; a project which he 
had formed for the sake of acquiring a competent knowl¬ 
edge of the French language. But his father could not 
bear to lose him thus unnecessarily. Mr. Nelson had 
long been an invalid, suffering under paralytic and 
asthmatic affections, which, for several hours after he 
rose in the morning, scarcely permitted him to speak. 
He had been given over by his physicians for this com¬ 
plaint nearly forty years before his death; and was, 
for many of his last years, obliged to spend all his win¬ 
ters at Bath. The sight of his son, he declared, had 
given him new life. “But, Horatio,” said he, “it would 
have been better that I had not been thus cheered, if I 
am so soon to be bereaved of you again. Let me, my 
good son, see you whilst I can. My age and infirmities 
increase, and I shall not last long. ’ ’ To such an appeal 
there could be no reply. Nelson took up his abode at 
the parsonage, and amused himself with the sports and 
occupations of the country. Sometimes he busied him¬ 
self with farming the glebe ; 2 sometimes spent the greater 
part of the day in the garden, where he would dig as if 
for the mere pleasure of wearying himself. Sometimes 

1. Design against the Barbary pirates. During the American Revo¬ 
lution and Napoleonic Wars, Great Britain connived in the piratical 
activities of the Barbary States against the commerce of her enemies. 
The first effective measures against them were taken by the United 
States in the War with Tripoli (1801-04). 

2. Glebe. Farming’ land ; more strictly, cultivable land belonging to 
a parish church. 


76 


The Life of Nelson 


he went a bird’s nesting like a boy: and in these expedi¬ 
tions Mrs. Nelson always, by his express desire, accom¬ 
panied him. Coursing 1 was his favorite amusement. 
Shooting, as he practiced it, was far too dangerous for 
his companions: for he carried his gun upon the full 
cock, as if he were going to board an enemy; and the 
moment a bird rose, he let fly, without ever putting the 
fowling-piece to his shoulder. It is not, therefore, 
extraordinary, that his having once shot a partridge 
should be remembered by his family among the remark¬ 
able events of his life. 

But his time did not pass away thus without some 
vexatious cares to ruffle it. The affair of the American 
ships was not yet over, and he was again pestered with 
threats of prosecution. “I have written them word,” 
said he, ‘‘that I will have nothing to do w T itli them, and 
they must act as they think proper. Government, I sup¬ 
pose, will do what is right, and not leave me in the lurch. 
We have heard enough lately of the consequence of the 
Navigation Act to this country. They may take my 
person: but if sixpence "would save me from a prosecu¬ 
tion, I would not give it.” It was his great ambition 
at this time to possess a pony; and having resolved to 
purchase one, he went to a fair for that purpose. Lur¬ 
ing his absence two men abruptly entered the parsonage, 
and inquired for him: they then asked for Mrs. Nelson: 
and after they had made her repeatedly declare that she 
was really and truly the captain’s wife, presented her 
with a writ, or notification, on the part of the American 
captains, who now laid their damages at £20,000, and 
they charged her to give it to her husband on his return. 
Nelson having bought his pony, came home with it in 
high spirits. He called out his wife to admire his pur¬ 
chase, and listen to all its excellencies: nor was it till his 

1. Coursing. Hunting with hounds. 


The Life of Nelson 


77 


glee had in some measure subsided, that the paper could 
be presented to him. His indignation was excessive: and, 
in the apprehension that he should be exposed to the 
anxieties of the suit, and the ruinous consequences which 
might ensue, he exclaimed, “This affront I did not de¬ 
serve ! But 111 be trifled with no longer. I will write 
immediately to the Treasury, and, if Government will 
not support me, I am resolved to leave the country.” 
Accordingly, he informed the Treasury, that if a satis¬ 
factory answer were not sent him by return post, he 
should take refuge in Prance. To this he expected he 
should be driven, and for this he arranged everything 
with his characteristic rapidity of decision. It wais set¬ 
tled that he should depart immediately, and Mrs. Nelson 
follow under the care of his elder brother Maurice, 
ten days after him. But the answer which he received 
from Government quieted his fears: it stated, that 
Captain Nelson was a very good officer, and needed 
be under no apprehension, for he would assuredly be 
supported. 

Here his disquietude upon this subject seems to have 
ended. Still he was not at ease; he wanted employment, 1 
and was mortified that his applications for it produced 
no effect. “Not being a man of fortune,” he said, 
“was a crime which he was unable to get over, and there¬ 
fore none of the great cared about him.” Repeatedly he 
requested the Admiralty that they would not leave him 
to rust in indolence. During the armament which was 
made upon occasion of the dispute concerning Nootka 
Sound, 2 he renewed his application: and his steady 

1. Wanted employment. Nelson was on half-pay from 1788 to 
1793. 

2. Nootka Sound. Spain in 1789 seized a British trading station at 
Nootka Sound on the west coast of Vancouver Island. Pitt there¬ 
upon strengthened the fleet and forced Spain to concede equal trading 
rights along the Pacific Coast. 


78 


The Life of Nelson 


friend, Prince William, who had then been created Duke 
of Clarence, recommended him to Lord Chatham. 1 The 
failure of this recommendation wounded him so keenly, 
that he again thought of retiring from the service in dis¬ 
gust; a resolution from which nothing but the urgent 
remonstrances of Lord Hood 2 induced him to desist. 
Hearing that the Raisonnable, in which he had com¬ 
menced his career, was to be commissioned, he asked for 
her. This also was in vain: and a coolness ensued, on 
his part, toward Lord Hood, because that excellent officer 
did not use his influence with Lord Chatham upon this 
occasion. Lord Hood, however, had certainly sufficient 
reasons for not interfering; for he ever continued his 
steady friend. In the winter of 1792, when we were on 
the eve of the revolutionary war, 3 Nelson once more 
offered his services, earnestly requested a ship, and 
added, that if their lordships should be pleased to 
appoint him to a cockle-boat, he should feel satisfied. 

1. Lord Chatham. First Lord of the Admiralty; eldest brother of 
the Frime Minister. 

2. Lord Hood. Samuel, Viscount Hood (1724-1S16), member of the 
Admiralty Board (17S8-93), and later in command of the Mediter¬ 
ranean fleet. 

3. Revolutionary war. The French Revolution. Following the exe¬ 
cution of Louis XVI (January 21, 1793), the chief powers of Europe 
combined to crush the republic. More aggressive than her enemies, 
France extended her boundaries to the Rhine, occupied Belgium and 
Holland, made peace with Spain and Prussia (July, 1795), and in 
September of the same year secured Spain as an ally. In the mean¬ 
time the British Mediterranean fleet, which Nelson joined, was engaged 
chiefly in occupying Corsica and co-operating with the Austrian 
forces on the Riviera. In 179G Napoleon took command in Italy, 
defeated three Austrian armies sent against him, and by the peace of 
Campo Formio (1797) created the Cisalpine and Ligurian republics 
In northern Italy. In 1798 the Tapal States and the territory of the 
King of Naples in southern Italy were also formed into republics 
under French protection. This deprived the British fleet of Italian 
bases and supplies. After the victory of the Nile (August 1. 1798) 
the French were driven out of Italy and the former rulers temporarily 
restored. The period of these events, 1793-1800, Is covered in the 
next four chapters. 


The Life of Nelson 


79 


He was answered in the usual official form: 1 ‘Sir, I 
have received your letter of the 5th instant, expressing 
your readiness to serve, and have read the same to my 
Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty.” On the 12th 
of December he received this dry acknowledgment. The 
fresh mortification did not, however, affect him long: for, 
by the joint interest of the Duke and Lord Hood, he was 
appointed, on the 30th of January following, to the 
Agamemnon, 1 of sixty-four guns. 

1. Agamemnon . With his usual enthusiasm for his ships and men, 
Nelson wrote of her “as the finest 64 in the service . . . manned 

exceedingly well.” The “Old Eggs and Bacon,” as her sailors called 
her, was wrecked in 1809 ; her successor of the same name is a pre- 
dreadnought of 16,500 tons. 


CHAPTER III 


The Agamemnon sent to the Mediterranean—Commencement of 
Nelson’s acquaintance with Sir W. Hamilton—He is sent to Cor¬ 
sica, to co-operate with Paoli—State of affairs in that island— 
Nelson undertakes the siege of Bastia, and reduces it—Takes a 
distinguished part in the siege of Calvi, where he loses an eye— 
Admiral Hotham’s action—The Agamemnon ordered to Genoa to 
co-operate with the Austrian and Sardinian forces—Gross miscon¬ 
duct of the Austrian General. 

“ There are three things, young gentleman,” said 
Nelson to one of his midshipmen, “which yon are con¬ 
stantly to bear in mind. First, you must always im¬ 
plicitly obey orders, without attempting to form any 
opinion of your- own respecting their propriety. Sec¬ 
ondly, you must consider every man your enemy who 
speaks ill of your king; and, thirdly, you must hate a 
Frenchman as you do the devil.” With these feelings 
he engaged in the war. Josiah, 1 his step-son, went with 
him as a midshipman. 

The Agamemnon was ordered to the Mediterranean, 
under Lord Hood. The fleet arrived in those seas at a 
time when the south of France would willingly have 
formed itself into a separate republic, under the protec¬ 
tion of England. But good principles had been at that 
time perilously abused by ignorant and profligate men; 
and, in its fear and hatred of democracy, the English 

1. Josiah. Josiah NIsbet, the son of Mrs. Nelson by her first mar¬ 
riage (See p. 68). He was later a lieutenant in the Theseus, and 
captain in the Dolphin and Thalia. According to Professor Laughton 
(Life of Nelson, p. 153), “He seems to have been of intemperate 
habits and boorish demeanor. When drunk, he was violent and 
insulting.” 


SO 



The Life of Nelson 


81 







82 


The Life of Nelson 


government abhorred whatever was republican. Lord 
Hood could not take advantage of the fair occasion 
which presented itself; and which, if it had been seized 
with vigor, might have ended in dividing France:—but 
he negotiated with the people of Toulon, 1 to take posses¬ 
sion provisionally of their port and city; which, fatally 
for themselves, was done. Before the British fleet en¬ 
tered, Nelson was sent with despatches to Sir William 
Hamilton, 2 our Envoy at the court of Naples. Sir 
William, after his first interview with him, told Lady 
Hamilton 3 that he was about to introduce a little man to 
her, who could not boast of being very handsome; but 
such a man as, he believed, would one day astonish the 
world. “I have never before,” he continued, “enter¬ 
tained an officer at my house; but I am determined to 

1. Toulon. The city was recaptured largely through the skill of 
Napoleon, who commanded the republican artillery, organized the siege, 
and by training his guns on the British and Spanish fleets forced them 
to leave the harbor. 

2. Sir William Hamilton (1730-1803). Envoy at Naples, 17G4-1800. 
He was a man of amiable character, and of some attainments in 
diplomacy and science, but in later years enfeebled by age and con¬ 
tinued ill health. His relations with Nelson are covered sufficiently 
in later pages of the present hook. 

3. Lady Hamilton (c. 17G5-1S15). Lady Hamilton's maiden name 
was Emma or Amy Lyon, and she was the daughter of a Cheshire 
blacksmith. In the course of a disreputable career in London, she 
picked up some rudiments of education and breeding from the people 
with whom she came in contact, and her beauty and theatrical gifts 
made her a favorite model for the painter Romney, who depicted her 
in many attitudes and characters. Later, in Naples, as the mistress 
and afterward the wife of Sir W T illiam Hamilton, she won the confi¬ 
dence of Queen Maria Carolina and entered eagerly into the in¬ 
trigues of the Neapolitan Court. Nelson on his return from the Nile 
fell under the influence of her personal charm, flattery, and half- 
sincere hero-worship—an influence which had an ill effect on his 
management of the fleet in Italian waters and led later to his sepa¬ 
ration from Lady Nelson. Save in these respects, and in its unfor¬ 
tunate effect on his social standing and professional recognition in 
England, Nelson’s connection with Lady Hamilton may be considered 
as a matter apart from his public services and career. 


The Life of Nelson 


83 


bring him here. Let him be put in the room prepared 
for Prince Augustus.’ 71 Thus that acquaintance began 
which ended in the destruction of Nelson’s domestic 
happiness. It seemed to threaten no such consequences 
at its commencement. He spoke of Lady Hamilton, in a 
letter to his wife, as a young woman of amiable manners, 
who did honor to the station to which she had been 
raised: and he remarked, that she had been exceedingly 
kind to Josiah. The activity with which the Envoy 
exerted himself in procuring troops from Naples to assist 
in garrisoning Toulon, so delighted him, that he is said 
to have exclaimed, “Sir William, you are a man after 
my own heart!—you do business in my own way: 7 7 and 
then to have added, “I am now only a captain; but I 
will, if I live, be at the top of the tree. 77 Here, also, 
that acquaintance with the Neapolitan court 1 2 commenced, 
which led to the only blot 3 upon Nelson’s public char¬ 
acter. The King, who was sincere at that time in his 
enmity to the French, called the English the saviors of 
Italy, and of his dominions in particular. He paid the 
most flattering attention to Nelson, made him dine with 
him, and seated him at his right hand. 

Having accomplished this mission, 4 Nelson received 
orders to join Commodore Linzee, at Tunis. On the 

1. Prince Augustus. A son of George III of England. 

2. Neapolitan Court. Italy at the time of the Napoleonic wars 
was a bundle of small states either independent or subject to Austria. 
The Kingdom of the Two Sicilies (Sicily and Southern Italy) was ruled 
by a descendant of the Spanish Bourbons. Sardinia, which included 
the island itself and most of western Italy, was under the nouse of 
Savoy. In all these states there was a good deal of sympathy for the 
ideals of the French Revolution, and they regarded with mingled feel¬ 
ings the efforts of an Austrian army and a British fleet to save them 
from Napoleon. 

3. The only blot. See pp. 216-221. 

4. This mission. Nelson was sent to procure 10,000 troops to help 
hold Toulon. He received the promise of troops, but was forced to 
leave the port before they could be embarked. 


84 


The Life of Nelson 


way, five sail of the enemy were discovered off the coast 
of Sardinia, and he chased them. They proved to be 
three forty-four gun frigates, with a corvette 1 of twenty- 
four, and a brig of twelve. The Agamemnon had only 
three hundred and forty-five men at quarters, 2 having 
landed part of her crew at Toulon, and others being 
absent in prizes. He came near enough one of the 
frigates to engage her, but at great disadvantage, the 
Frenchman maneuvering well, and sailing greatly bet¬ 
ter. 3 A running fight of three hours ensued, during 
which the other ships, which were at some distance, made 
all speed to come up. By this time the enemy were 
almost silenced, when a favorable change of wind en¬ 
abled her to get out of reach of the Agamemnon’s guns: 
and that ship had received so much damage in the rig¬ 
ging that she could not follow her. Nelson, conceiving 
that this was but the forerunner of a far more serious 
engagement, called his officers together, and asked them 
if the ship was fit to go into action against such a supe¬ 
rior force without some small refreshment for the men? 
Their answer was, that she certainly was not. He then 
gave these orders: “Veer the ship, 4 and lay her head to 
the westward; let some of the best men be employed 
in refitting .the rigging, and the carpenter getting crows 
and capstern-bars 5 to prevent our wounded spars from 

1. Corvette. The French name for n type corresponding to the 
American “sioop-of-war,” designed for seaworthiness and speed, with 
all the guns on the main or spar deck. 

2. At quarters. At their stations ready for action. 

3. Sailing greatly better. French and Spanish frigates were at this 
time superior to the Uritish in design and i-oecd. 

4. Veer the ship. Change her course, usually by turning with the 
wind. 

5. Crows and capstern-bars. Crow-bars and capstan-bars, the latter 
being long levers used to turn the capstan in hoisting anchor. In 
this case the bars were lashed along the damaged spars to strengthen 
them. 


The Life of Nelson 


85 


coming down; and get the wine up for the people, with 
some bread, for it may be half an hour good before we 
are again in action.” But when the French came up, 
their comrade made signals of distress, and they all 
hoisted out their boats to go to her assistance, leaving 
the Agamemnon unmolested. 

Nelson found Commodore Linzee at Tunis, where he 
had been sent to expostulate with the Dey upon the im¬ 
policy of his supporting the revolutionary government 
of France. Nelson represented to him the atrocity of 
that government. Such arguments were of little avail 
in Barbary: and -when the Dey was told that the French 
had put their sovereign to death, he dryly replied, that 
“Nothing could be more heinous; and yet, if historians 
told the truth, the English had once done the same.” 1 
This answer had doubtless been suggested by the French 
about him: they had completely gained the ascendancy, 
and all negotiation on our part proved fruitless. Shortly 
afterwards Nelson was detached with a small squadron, 
to co-operate w T ith General Paoli and the anti-Gallican 
party in Corsica. 

Some thirty years before this time, the heroic pa¬ 
triotism of the Corsicans, and of their leader, Paoli, had 
been the admiration of England. The history of these 
brave people is but a melancholy tale. The island which 
they inhabit has been abundantly blessed by nature: it 
has many excellent harbors; and though the malaria, or 
pestilential atmosphere, which is so deadly in many parts 
of Italy, and of the Italian islands, prevails on the east- 
err. coast, the greater part of the country is mountainous 
and healthy. It is about 150 miles long, and from 40 to 
50 broad : in circumference, some 320 :— a country large 
enough, and sufficiently distant from the nearest shores, 
to have subsisted as an independent state, if the welfare 

1. Once done the same. An allusion to tbe execution of Charles I. 


86 


The Life of Nelson 


and happiness of the human race had ever been con¬ 
sidered as the end and aim of policy. The Moors, the 
Pisans, the kings of Aragon, and the Genoese, success¬ 
ively attempted, and each for a time effected, its con¬ 
quest. The yoke of the Genoese continued longest, and 
was the heaviest. These petty tyrants ruled with an iron 
rod: and when at any time a patriot rose to resist their 
oppressions, if they failed to subdue him by force, they 
resorted to assassination. At the commencement of the 
last century they quelled one revolt by the aid of Ger¬ 
man auxiliaries, whom the Emperor Charles VI. 1 sent 
against a people who had never offended him, and who 
were fighting for whatever is most dear to man. In 
1734 the w r ar was renewed ; and Theodore, a Westphalian 
baron, then appeared upon the stage. In that age men 
were not accustomed to see adventurers play for king¬ 
doms, and Theodore became the common talk of Europe. 
He had served in the French armies; and having after¬ 
wards been noticed both by Ripperda and Alberoni, 2 
their example, perhaps, inflamed a spirit as ambitious 
and as unprincipled as their own. He employed the 
whole of his means in raising money and procuring 
arms: then wrote to the leaders of the Corsican patriots, 
to offer them considerable assistance, if they would erect 
Corsica into an independent kingdom, and elect him 
king. When he landed among them, they were struck 
with his stately person, his dignified manners, and im¬ 
posing talents: they believed the magnificent promises 
of foreign assistance which he held out, and elected him 
king accordingly. Had his means been as he repre¬ 
sented them, they could not have acted more wisely than 

1. Charles YT. Emperor of Austria and head of the Holy Roman 
Empire (1711-1740). 

2. Ripperda and Albcrotil. The first a Hutch, and the second an 

Italian adventurer of the seventeenth century. Both rose to high posi¬ 
tions In the court of Spain. . . 














The Life of Nelson 


87 


in thus at once fixing the government of their country, 
and putting an end to those rivalries among the leading 
families, which had so often proved pernicious to the 
public weal. He struck 1 money, conferred titles, blocked 
up 2 the fortified towns which were held by the Genoese, 
and amused the people with promises of assistance for 
about eight months: then, perceiving that they cooled in 
their affections toward him, in proportion as their ex¬ 
pectations were disappointed, he left the island, under 
the plea of expediting himself the succors which he 
had so long awaited. Such was his address that he pre¬ 
vailed upon several rich merchants in Holland, particu¬ 
larly the Jews, to trust him with cannon and warlike 
stores to a great amount. They shipped these under the 
charge of a supercargo. Theodore returned with this 
supercargo to Corsica, and put him to death on his 
arrival, as the shortest way of settling the account. The 
remainder of his life was a series of deserved afflictions. 
He threw in the stores 3 which he had thus fraudulently 
obtained: but he did not dare to land; for Genoa had 
now called in the French to their assistance, and a price 
had been set upon his head. His dreams of royalty were 
now at an end; he took refuge in London, contracted 
debts, and was thrown into the King’s Bench. 4 After 
lingering there many years, he was released under an 
act of insolvency: in consequence of which, he made over 
the kingdom of Corsica for the use of his creditors, and 
died shortly after his deliverance. 

The French, who have never acted a generous part 
in the history of the world, readily entered into the views 
of the Genoese, which accorded with their own policy; 
for such was their ascendancy at Genoa, that in subduing 

1. Struck. Coined. 

2. Blocked up. Blockaded, laid siege to. 

3. Threw in the stores. Landed them in Corsica. 

4. Thrown into the King’s Bench. Held by the debtor’s court. 


88 


The Life of Nelson 


Corsica for these allies, they were in fact subduing it 
for themselves. They entered into the contest, therefore, 
with their usual vigor, and their usual cruelty. It was 
in vain that the Corsicans addressed a most affecting me¬ 
morial to the court of Versailles; that remorseless govern¬ 
ment persisted in its flagitious project. They poured in 
troops; dressed a part of them like the people of the 
country, by which means they deceived and destroyed 
many of the patriots; cut down the standing corn, the 
vines, and the olives; set fire to the villages, and hung 
all the most able and active men who fell into their 
hands. A war of this kind may be carried on with suc¬ 
cess against a country so small and so thinly peopled as 
Corsica. Having reduced the island 1 to perfect servitude, 
which they called peace, the French withdrew their 
forces. As soon as they were gone, men, women, and 
boys rose at once against their oppressors. The circum¬ 
stances of the times were now favorable to them; and 
some British ships, acting as allies of Sardinia, bom¬ 
barded Bastia and San Fiorenzo, and delivered -them 
into the hands of the patriots. This service was long 
remembered with gratitude: the impression made upon 
our own countrymen was less favorable. They had wit¬ 
nessed the heart-burning of rival chiefs, and the dis- 
sentions among the patriots; and perceiving the state 
of barbarism to which continual oppression, and habits 
of lawless turbulence, had reduced the nation, did not 
recollect that the vices of the people were owing to their 
unhappy circumstances; but that the virtues which they 
displayed arose from their own nature. This feeling, 
perhaps, influenced the British court, when, in 1746, 
Corsica offered to put herself under the protection of 

1. Reduced the island. The motive of the French in taking Corsica 
was well justified fear lest the island .should fall into the hands of the 
English. Theodore returned in 1743 supported by a British fleet, but 
failed to win popular support. 


The Life of Nelson 


89 


Great Britain: an answer was returned expressing satis¬ 
faction at such a communication, hoping that the Cor¬ 
sicans would preserve the same sentiments, but signify¬ 
ing also that the present was not the time for such a 
measure. 

These brave islanders then formed a government for 
themselves, under two leaders, Gaffori and Matra, who 
had the title of protectors. The latter is represented as 
a partisan of Genoa, favoring the views of the oppressors 
of his country by the most treasonable means. Gaffori 
was a hero worthy of old times. His eloquence was long 
remembered with admiration. A band of assassins was 
once advancing against him; he heard of their approach, 
went out to meet them; and, with a serene dignity which 
overawed them, requested them to hear him: he then 
spoke to them so forcibly of the distresses of their coun¬ 
try, her intolerable wrongs, and the hopes and views of 
their brethren in arms, that the very men who had been 
hired to murder him fell at his feet, implored his forgive¬ 
ness, and joined his banner. While he was besieging 
the Genoese in Corte, a part of the garrison perceiving 
the nurse with his eldest son, then an infant in arms, 
straying at a little distance from the camp, suddenly 
sallied out and seized them. The use they made of their 
persons was in conformity with their usual execrable 
conduct. When Gaffori advanced to batter the walls, 
they held up the child directly over that part of the 
wall at which the guns were pointed. The Corsicans 
stopped; but Gaffori stood at their head, and ordered 
them to continue the fire. Providentially the child 
escaped, and lived to relate, with becoming feeling, a 
fact so honorable to his father. That father conducted 
the affairs of the island till 1753, when he was assassi¬ 
nated by some wretches, set on, it is believed, by Genoa; 
but certainly pensioned by that abominable government 



90 


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after the deed. He left the country in such a state, 
that it was enabled to continue the war two years after 
his death without a leader: then they found one worthy 
of their cause in Pasquale de Paoli. 

Paoli’s father was one of the patriots who effected 
their escape from Corsica when the French reduced it to 
obedience. He retired to Naples, and brought up this 
his youngest son in the Neapolitan service. The Corsi¬ 
cans heard of young Paoli’s abilities, and solicited him 
to come over to his native country, and take the com¬ 
mand. He did not hesitate long: his father, who was too 
far advanced in years to take an active part himself, en¬ 
couraged him to go; and when they separated, the old 
man fell on his neck, and kissed him, and gave him his 
blessing. “My son,” said he, “perhaps I may never 
see you more; but in my mind 1 shall ever be present 
with you. Your design is great and noble; and I doubt 
not but God will bless you in it. I shall devote to your 
cause the little remainder of my life, in offering up my 
prayers for your success.” When Paoli assumed the 
command, he found all things in confusion; he formed 
a democratical government, of which he was chosen 
chief; restored the authority of the laws; established an 
university; and took such measured, both for repressing 
abuses and molding the rising generation, that, if France 
had not interfered, upon its wicked and detestable prin¬ 
ciple of usurpation, Corsica might, at this day, have 
been as free, and flourishing, and happy a common¬ 
wealth as any of the Grecian states in the days of their 
prosperity. The Genoese w r ere at this time driven out 
of their fortified towns, and must in a short time have 
been expelled. France was indebted some millions of 
livres 1 to Genoa: it was not convenient to pay this 
money; so the French minister proposed to the Genoese, 

1. Livres. The llvre, or French franc, Is worth about 20 cents. 


The Life of Nelson 


91 


that she should discharge the debt by sending six bat¬ 
talions to serve in Corsica for four years. The indigna¬ 
tion which this conduct excited in all generous hearts 
was forcibly expressed by Rousseau/ who, with all his 
errors, was seldom deficient in feeling for the wrongs of 
humanity. “You Frenchmen,” said he, writing to one 
of that people, “are a thoroughly servile nation, thor¬ 
oughly sold to tyranny, thoroughly cruel, and relent¬ 
less in persecuting the unhappy. If you knew of a free 
man at the other end of the world, I believe you would 
go thither for the mere pleasure of extirpating him.” 

The immediate object of the French happened to be 
purely mercenary: they wanted to clear off their debt to 
- Genoa; and as the presence of their troops in the island 
effected this, they aimed at doing the people no farther 
mischief. Would that the conduct of England had been 
at this time free from reproach! but a proclamation was 
issued by the English government, after the peace of 
Paris, 1 2 prohibiting any intercourse with the rebels of 
Corsica. Paoli said, he did not expect this from Great 
Britain. This great man was deservedly proud of his 
country:—“I defy Rome, Sparta, or Thebes,” he would 
say, “to show me thirty years of such patriotism as Cor¬ 
sica can boast!” Availing himself of the respite which 
the inactivity of the French and the weakness of the 
Genoese allowed, he prosecuted his plans of civilizing 
the people. He used to say, that though he had an un¬ 
speakable pride in the prospect of the fame to which he 
aspired; yet, if he could but render his countrymen 

1. Rousseau. Jean Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778), a French philos¬ 
opher and writer, whose radical teaching with regard to education, 
religion, and the rights of man did much to spread revolutionary ideas 
in Europe and America. Le Contrat Social, by Rousseau, is anti- 
monarchic, basing all government on the consent of the governed. 

2. Peace of Paris. Signed February 10, 1763, by England, France, 
and Spain. 


92 


The Life of Nelson 


happy, ho would he content to be forgotten. His own 
importance he never affected to undervalue. “We are 
now to our country/’ said he, “like the prophet Elisha, 1 
stretched over the dead body of the Shunamite,—eye to 
eye, nose to nose, mouth to mouth. It begins to recover 
warmth, and to revive: I hope it will yet regain full 
health and vigor .’ 7 

But when the four years were expired, France pur¬ 
chased the sovereignty of Corsica from the Genoese for 
forty millions of livres: as if the Genoese had been en¬ 
titled to sell it; as if any bargain or sale could justify 
one country in taking possession of another against the 
will of the inhabitants, and butchering all who oppose 
the usurpation ! Among the enormities which France 
has committed, this action seems but as a speck; 
yet the foulest murderer that ever suffered by the hands 
of the executioner has infinitely less guilt upon his soul 
than the statesman who concluded this treaty, and the 
monarch who sanctioned and confirmed it. A desperate 
and glorious resistance was made; but it was in vain ; no 
power interposed in behalf of these injured islanders, 
and the French poured in as many troops as were re¬ 
quired. They offered to confirm Paoli in the supreme 
authority, only on condition that he would hold it under 
their government. Ilis answer was, “That the rocks 
which surrounded him should melt away before he would 
betray a cause which he held in common with the poorest 
Corsican.” This people then set a price upon his head. 
During two campaigns he kept them at bay: they over¬ 
powered him at length: he was driven to the shore, and 
having escaped on ship-board, took refuge in England. 
It is said that Lord Shelburne resigned his seat in the 
cabinet because the ministry looked on, without attempt¬ 
ing to prevent France from succeeding in this abomi- 

1. Prophet Elisha, etc. See II Kings, iv, 31-34. 


The Life of Nelson 


93 


nable and important act of aggrandizement. In one re¬ 
spect, however, our country acted as became her. Paoli 
was welcomed with the honors which he deserved, a pen¬ 
sion of £1200 per annum was immediately granted him; 
and provision was liberally made for his elder brother 
and his nephew. 

Above twenty years Paoli remained in England, en¬ 
joying the friendship of the wise, and the admiration of 
the good. 1 But when the French Revolution began, it 
seemed as if the restoration of Corsica was at hand. 
The whole country, as if animated by one spirit, rose 
and demanded liberty; and the National Assembly 2 
passed a decree, recognizing the island as a department 
of France, and therefore entitled to all the privileges of 
the new French constitution. This satisfied the Cor¬ 
sicans, which it ought not to have done; and Paoli, in 
whom the ardor of youth was past, seeing that his coun¬ 
trymen were contented, and believing that they were 
about to enjoy a state of freedom, naturally wished to 
return to his native country. He resigned his pension in 
the year 1790, and appeared at the bar of the Assembly 
with the Corsican deputies, when they took the oath of 
fidelity to France. But the course of events in France 
soon dispelled those hopes of a new and better order of 
things, which Paoli, in common with so many friends of 
humankind, had indulged: and perceiving, after the 
execution of the King, 3 that a civil war was about to 

1. Admiration of the good. In England Paoli became Intimate with 
the literary circle which included Johnson, Burke, Goldsmith, Garrick, 
Reynolds, and Boswell. He is mentioned frequently in Boswell’s Life 
of Johnson. 

2. National Assembly. Otherwise known as the Constituent (con¬ 
stitution-making) Assembly, formed In June, 1789, by combining the 
three bodies of the old States-General, and in session till Sept. 30, 
1791. It was followed by the Legislative Assembly (Oct. 1, 1791- 
Sept. 21, 1792), elected under the new constitution. 

3. Execution of the king. Louis XVI was guillotined Jan. 21, 1793. 


94 


The Life of Nelson 


ensue, of which no man could foresee the issue, he pre¬ 
pared to break the connection between Corsica and the 
French republic. The Convention , 1 suspecting such a 
design, and perhaps occasioning it by their suspicions, 
ordered him to their bar. That way, he well knew, led 
to the guillotine; and, returning a respectful answer, he 
declared that he would never be found wanting in his 
duty, but pleaded age and infirmity as a reason for dis¬ 
obeying the summons. Their second order was more 
summary: and the French troops who were in Corsica, 
aided by those of the natives, who were either influenced 
by hereditary party feelings, or who were sincere in 
Jacobinism , 2 took the field against him. But the people 
were with him. He repaired to Corte, the capital of the 
island, and was again invested with the authority which 
he had held in the noonday of his fame. The Conven¬ 
tion, upon this, denounced him as a rebel, and set a price* 
upon his head. It was not the first time that France had 
proscribed Paoli. 

Paoli now opened a correspondence with Lord Hood, 
promising, if the English would make an attack upon St. 
Fiorenzo from the sea, he would, at the same time, attack 
it by land. This promise he was unable to perform : and 
Commodore Linzee, who, in reliance upon it, was sent 
upon this service, was repulsed with some loss. Lord 
Hood, who had now been compelled to evacuate Toulon, 
suspected Paoli of intentionally deceiving him. This 
was an injurious 3 suspicion. Shortly afterwards he des¬ 
patched Lieutenant-Colonel (afterwards Sir John) 

1. The Convention. The National Convention, in control of France 
from Sept. 21, 1792, to Oct. 27, 1795. 

2. Jacobinism. A term applied to radical republicanism at the time 
of the French Revolution. The name was derived from the political 
club of which Marat, Danton, Robespierre and others of the more vio¬ 
lent revolutionists were members, and which met in an old Jacobin or 
Dominican convent. 

3. Injurious. Unjustified. 













The Life of Nelson 


95 


Moore 1 and Major Koehler to confer with him upon a 
plan of operations. Sir Gilbert Elliot accompanied 
them: and it was agreed, that, in consideration of the 
succors, both military and naval, which his Britannic 
Majesty should afford for the purpose of expelling the 
French, the island of Corsica should be delivered into 
the immediate possession of his Majesty, and bind itself 
to acquiesce in any settlement he might approve of con¬ 
cerning its government and its future relation with 
Great Britain. While this negotiation was going on, 
Nelson cruised off the island with a small squadron, to 
prevent the enemy from throwing in supplies. Close 
to St. Fiorenzo the French had a store-house of flour, 
near their only mill: he watched an opportunity, and 
landed 120 men, who threw the flour into the sea, burnt 
the mill, and re-embarked before 1,000 men, who were 
sent against him, could occasion him the loss of a single 
man. While he exerted himself thus, keeping out all 
supplies, intercepting despatches, attacking their out¬ 
posts and forts, and cutting out vessels from the bay,— 
a species of warfare which depresses the spirit of an 
enemy more than it injures them, because of the sense 
of individual superiority which it indicates in the assail¬ 
ants,—troops were landed, and St. Fiorenzo was be¬ 
sieged. The French, finding themselves unable to main¬ 
tain their post, sunk one of their frigates, burnt another, 
and retreated to Bastia. Lord Hood submitted to Gen¬ 
eral Dundas, who commanded the land forces, a plan 
for the reduction of this place: the general declined co¬ 
operating, thinking the attempt impracticable, without a 
reinforcement of 2,000 men, which he expected from 

1. Sir John Moore. Moore died in 1809 at Corunna, Spain, from a 
wound received during the retreat of his army before superior French 
forces. A monument in his honor was erected by French officers, 
and his death commemorated in Wolfe’s well-known poem, The Burial 
of Sir John Moore. 

4 


96 


The Life of Nels.on 


Gibraltar. Upon this Lord Hood determined to reduce 
it with the naval force under his command; and leaving 
part of his fleet off Toulon, he came with the rest to 
Bastia. 

He showed a proper sense of respect for Nelson’s 
services, and of confidence in his talents, by taking care 
not to bring with him any older captain. 1 A few days 
before their arrival, Nelson had had what he called a 
brush with the enemy. “If I had had with me five 
hundred troops,” he said, "to a certainty I should have 
stormed the town, and I believe it might have been 
carried. Armies go so slow, that seamen think they 
never mean to get forward: but I daresay they act on a 
surer principle, although we seldom fail.” During this 
partial action our army appeared upon the heights; and 
having reconnoitred the place, returned to St. Fiorenzo. 
“What the general could have seen to make a retreat 
necessary,” said Nelson, “I cannot comprehend. A 
thousand men would certainly take Bastia ; with five hun¬ 
dred and Agamemnon I would attempt it. My seamen 
are now what British seamen ought to be—almost in¬ 
vincible. They really mind shot no more than peas.” 
General Dundas had not the same confidence. “After 
mature consideration,” said he in a letter to Lord Hood, 
“and a personal inspection for several days of all cir¬ 
cumstances, local as well as others, I consider the siege 
of Bastia, with our present means and force, to be a 
most visionary and rash attempt; such as no officer 
would be justified in undertaking.” Lord Hood replied, 
that nothing would be more gratifying to his feelings 
than to have the whole responsibility upon himself; and 
that he was ready and willing to undertake the reduc 
tion of the place at his own risk, with the force and 

1. Any older captain. An officer senior In rank to Nelson would 
have superseded him In command. 


The Life of Nelson 


97 


means at present there. General d'Aubant, who succeeded 
at this time to the command of the army, coincided 
in opinion with his predecessor, and did not think it 
right to furnish his lordship with a single soldier, can¬ 
non, or any stores. Lord Hood could only obtain a 
few artillerymen; and ordering on board that part of 
the troops who, having been embarked as marines, were 
borne on the ships’ books as part of their respective com¬ 
plements, he began the siege with 1183 soldiers, artil¬ 
lerymen, and marines, and 250 sailors. “We are but 
few,” said Nelson, “but of the right sort; our general 
at St. Fiorenzo not giving us one of the five regiments 
he has there lying idle.” 

These men were landed on the 4th of April, under 
Lieutenant-Colonel Villettes and Nelson, who had now 
acquired from the army the title of Brigadier. Guns 
were dragged by the sailors up heights where it appeared 
almost impossible to convey them;—a work of the great¬ 
est difficulty; and which Nelson said could never, in his 
opinion, have been accomplished by any but British 
seamen. The soldiers, though less dexterous in such 
service, because not accustomed, like sailors, to habitual 
dexterity, behaved with equal spirit. “Their zeal,” said 
the Brigadier, “is almost unexampled. There is not a 
man but considers himself as personally interested in the 
event, and deserted by the general. It has, I am per¬ 
suaded, made them equal to double their numbers.” 
This is one proof, of many, that for our soldiers to 
equal our seamen, it is only necessary for them to be 
equally well commanded. They have the same heart and 
soul, as well as the same flesh and blood. Too much may, 
indeed, be exacted from them in a retreat; but set their 
face toward a foe, and there is nothing within the reach 
of human achievement which they cannot perform. The 
French had improved the leisure which our military 



£3 


The Life of Nelson 


commander had allowed them, and before Lord Hood 
commenced his operations, he had the mortification of 
seeing that the enemy were every day erecting new 
works, strengthening old ones, and rendering the at¬ 
tempt more difficult. La Combe St. Michel, the commis¬ 
sioner from the National Convention, who was in the 
city, replied in these terms to the summons of the British 
admiral: “I have hot shot for your ships, and bayonets 
for your troops. When two-thirds of our men are killed, 
I will then trust to the generosity of the English.” The 
siege, however, was not sustained with the firmness which 
such a reply seemed to augur. On the 19th of May a 
treaty of capitulation was begun: that same evening the 
troops from St. Fiorenzo made their appearance on the 
hills; and, on the following morning, General d’Aubant 
arrived with the whole army to take possession of Bastia. 

The event of this siege had justified the confidence of 
the sailors; but they themselves excused the opinion of 
the generals, when they saw what they had done. “I am 
all astonishment,” said Nelson, “when I reflect upon 
what we have achieved: 1000 regulars, 1500 national 
guards, and a large party of Corsican troops, 4000 in 
all, laying down their arms to 1200 soldiers, marines, 
and seamen! I always was of opinion, have ever acted 
up to it, and never had any reason to repent it, that one 
Englishman was equal to three Frenchmen. Had this 
been an English town, I am sure it would not have been 
taken by them.” When it had been resolved to attack 
the place, the enemy were supposed to be far inferior in 
number; and it was not till the whole had been arranged, 
and the siege publicly undertaken, that Nelson received 
certain information of the great superiority of the gar¬ 
rison. This intelligence he kept secret, fearing lest, if 
so fair a pretext were afforded, the attempt would be 
abandoned. ‘ 4 My own honor, ’ ’ said he to his wife, ‘ ‘ Lord 


The Life of Nelson 


99 


Hood’s honor, and the honor of our country, must have 
been sacrificed, had I mentioned what I knew: there¬ 
fore you will believe what must have been my feelings 
during the whole siege, when I had often proposals made 
to me to write to Lord Hood to raise it.” Those very 
persons who thus advised him were rewarded for their 
conduct at the siege of Bastia: Nelson, hv whom it might 
be truly affirmed that Bastia was taken, received no 
reward. Lord Hood’s thanks to him, both public and 
private, were, as he himself said, the handsomest which 
man could give: but his signal merits were not so 
mentioned in the despatches as to make them sufficiently 
known to the nation, nor to obtain for him from Gov¬ 
ernment those honors to which they so amply entitled 
him. This could only have arisen from the haste in 
which the despatches were written; certainly not from 
any deliberate purpose, for Lord Hood was uniformly 
his steady and sincere friend. 

One of the cartel’s 1 ships, which carried the garrison 
of Bastia to Toulon, brought back intelligence that the 
French were about to sail from that port;—such exer¬ 
tions had they made to repair the damage done at the 
evacuation, and to fit out a fleet. The intelligence was 
speedily verified. Lord Hood sailed in quest of them 
toward the islands of the Hieres. The Agamemnon was 
• with him. “I pray God,” said Nelson, writing to his 
wife, “that we may meet their fleet. If any accident 
should happen to me, I am sure my conduct will be such 
as will entitle you to the royal favor;—not that I have 
the least idea but I shall return to you, and full of 
honor:—if not, the Lord’s will be done. My name shall 
never be a disgrace to those who may belong to me. The 

1. Cartel. A vessel or company of vessels protected by agreement 

(cartel = card) with the enemy while engaged In transporting prison¬ 
ers for exchange, or In similar duties. 



100 


The Life of Nelson 


little I have, I have given to you, except a small annuity; 
[ wish it was more; but I have never got a farthing dis¬ 
honestly—it descends from clean hands. Whatever fate 
awaits me, I pray God to bless you, and preserve you, 
for your son’s sake.” With a mind thus prepared, and 
thus confident, his hopes and wishes seemed on the point 
of being gratified, when the enemy were discovered close 
under the land, near St. Tropez. The wind fell, and 
prevented Lord Hood from getting between them and 
the shore, as he designed: boats came out from Antibes 
and other places, to their assistance, and towed them 
within the shoals in Gourjean Roads, 1 where they were 
protected by batteries on isles St. Honore and St. Mar¬ 
guerite, and on Cape Garousse. 2 Here the English ad¬ 
miral planned a new mode of attack, meaning to double 3 
on five of the nearest ships; but the wind again died 
away, and it was found that they had anchored in com¬ 
pact order, guarding the only passage for large ships. 
There was no way of effecting this passage, except by 
towing or warping the vessels; and this rendered the 
attempt impracticable. For this time the enemy escaped: 
but Nelson bore in mind the admirable plan of attack 
which Lord Hood had devised, and there came a day 
when they felt its tremendous effects. 

The Agamemnon was now despatched to co-operate at 
the siege of Calvi 4 with General Sir Charles Stuart; an 
officer who, unfortunately for his country, never had an 
adequate field allotted him for the display of those emi- 

1. Gourjean Roads. The Golfe Jouan, off the southeastern coast 
of France. 

2. Cape Garousse. Cap do la Garoupe. 

3. To double. To oppose two ships against each one of the. enemy, 
a method very natural in view of the British superiority of thirteen 
to seven. It can hardly be considered a model or precedent for Nelson’s 
plan of battle at Aboukir Bay, where the French were in superior 
force and Nelson concentrated on the windward ships. 

4. Calvi. A town on the northwest coast of Corsica. 


The Life of Nelson 


101 


nent talents, which were, to all who knew him, so con¬ 
spicuous.* Nelson had less responsibility here than at 
Bastia; and was acting with a man after his own heart, 
who was never sparing of himself, and slept every night 
in the advanced battery. But the service was not less 
hard than that of the former siege. “We will fag our¬ 
selves to death,” said he to Lord Hood, “before any 
blame shall lie at our doors. I trust it will not be for¬ 
gotten that twenty-five pieces of heavy ordnance have 
been dragged to the different batteries, mounted, and all 
but three fought by seamen, except one artilleryman 
to point the guns. ” The climate proved more destructive 
than the service; for this was during the period of the 
“lion sun,” as they there call our season of the “dog- 
days.” Of 2000 men above half were sick, and the rest 
like so many phantoms. Nelson described himself as 
the reed among the oaks, bowing before the storm when 
they were laid low by it. “All the prevailing disorders 
have attacked me,” said he, “but I have not strength 
enough for them to fasten on. ” The loss from the enemy 
was not great; but Nelson received a serious injury: a 
shot struck the ground near him, and drove the sand and 
small gravel into one of his eyes. He spoke of it slightly 
at the time: writing the same day to Lord Hood, he only 
said, that he got a little hurt that morning, not much; 
and the next day he said, he should be able to attend his 
duty in the evening. In fact, he suffered it to confine 
him only one day; but the sight was lost. 1 

• Lord Melville was fully sensible of these talents, and bore testi¬ 
mony to them in the handsomest manner after Sir Charles’s death.— 
Southey’a Note. 

1. Sight was lost. A letter from Nelson to Mrs. Nelson, August 
18 , 1794, gives further details : “On the 10th of July, a shot having 
hit our battery, the splinters and stones from it struck me with great 
violence In the face and breast. ... I most fortunately escaped, 
having only my right eye nearly deprived of its sight; it was cut 
down, but Is so far recovered as for me to be able to distinguish light 


102 


The Life of Nelson 


After the fall of Calvi, his services were, by a strange 
omission, altogether overlooked: and his name was not 
even mentioned in the list of wounded. This w T as no¬ 
ways imputable to the Admiral, for he sent home to 
Government Nelson’s journal of the siege, that they 
might fully understand the nature of his indefatigable 
and unequalled exertions. If those exertions were not 
rewarded in the conspicuous manner which they de¬ 
served, the fault was in the administration of the day, 
not in Lord Hood. Nelson felt himself neglected. “One 
hundred and ten days,” said he, “I have been actually 
engaged, at sea and on shore, against the enemy; three 
actions against ships, two against Bastia in my ship, 
four boat actions, and two villages taken, and twelve sail 
of vessels burnt. I do not know that any one has done 
more. I have had the comfort to be always applauded by 
my Commander-in-Chief, but never to be rewarded: and, 
what is more mortifying, for services in which I have 
been wounded, others have been praised, who, at the 
same time, were actually in bed far from the scene of 
action. They have not done me justice. But, never 
mind, I’ll have a ‘Gazette’ 1 of my own.” How amply 
was this second-sight of glory realized! 

The health of his ship’s company had now, in his own 
words, been miserably torn to pieces by as hard service 
as a ship’s crew ever performed: 150 were in their beds 
when he left Calvi; of them he lost fifty; and believed 
that the constitutions of the rest were entirely destroyed. 
He was now sent with despatches to Mr. Drake, 2 at 

from darkness. As to all purposes of use It is gone; however, the 
blemish is nothing, not to be perceived unless told.”—Clarke and 
M’Arthur, Life of Nelson, Vol. I, p. 190. 

1. Gazette. A publication issued periodically by the British govern¬ 
ment, giving information of appointments, promotions, honors, and 
matters of similar nature. 

2 . Mr. Drake. The British Minister. 


The Life of Nelson 


103 


Genoa, and had his first interview with the Doge. The 
French had, at this time, taken possession of Yado Bay, 
in the Genoese territory; and Nelson foresaw, that if 
their thoughts were bent on the invasion of Italy, they 
would accomplish it the ensuing spring. “The allied 
powers,” he said, “were jealous of each other; and none 
but England was hearty in the cause.” His wish was 
for peace, on fair terms, because England, he thought, 
was draining herself, to maintain allies who would not 
fight for themselves. Lord Hood had now returned to 
England, and the command devolved on Admiral Hot- 
ham. The affairs of the Mediterranean wore at this time 
a gloomy aspect. The arts, as well as the arms of the 
enemy, were gaining the ascendancy there. Tuscany 
concluded peace, relying upon the faith of France, which 
was, in fact, placing itself at her mercy. Corsica was 
in danger. We had taken that island for ourselves, an¬ 
nexed it formally to the crown of Great Britain, and 
given it a constitution as free as our own. This was 
done with the consent of the majority of the inhabitants: 
and no transaction between two countries was ever more 
fairly or legitimately conducted: yet our conduct was 
unwise;—the island is large enough to form an inde¬ 
pendent state, and such we should have made it, under 
our protection, as long as protection might be needed. 
The Corsicans would then have felt as a nation; but, 
when one party had given up the country to England, 
the natural consequence was, that the other looked to 
France. The question proposed to the people was, to 
which would they belong? Our language and our re¬ 
ligion were against us; our unaccommodating manners, 
it is to be feared, still more so. The French were better 
politicians. In intrigue they have ever been unrivalled; 
and it now became apparent that, in spite of old wrongs, 
which ought never co have 6een iorgotten or forgiven, 




104 


The Life of Nelson 


their partisans were daily acquiring strength. It is 
part of the policy of France, and a wise policy it is, to 
impress upon other powers the opinion of its strength, by 
lofty language, and by threatening before it strikes; a 
system which, while it keeps up the spirit of its allies, 
and perpetually stimulates their hopes, tends also to 
dismay its enemies. Corsica was now loudly threatened. 
The French, who had not yet been taught to feel their 
own inferiority upon the seas, braved us, in contempt, 
upon that element. They had a superior fleet in the 
Mediterranean, and they sent it out with express orders 
to seek the English and engage them. Accordingly, the 
Toulon fleet, consisting of seventeen ships of the line, and 
five smaller vessels, put to sea. Admiral Hotham received. 
this information at Leghorn, and sailed immediately in 
search of them. He had with him fourteen sail of the 
line, and one Neapolitan seventy-four; but his ships were 
only half manned, containing but 7650 men, whereas the 
enemy had 16,900. He soon came in sight of them: a 
general action was expected; and Nelson, as was his cus¬ 
tom on such occasions, wrote a hasty letter to his wife, as 
that which might possibly contain his last farewell. 
“The lives of all,” said he, “are in the hands of Him 
who knows best whether to preserve mine or not: my 
character and good name are in my own keeping.” 

But however confident the French government might 
be of their naval superiority, the officers had no such 
feeling; and after maneuvering for a day, in sight of 
the English fleet, they suffered themselves to be chased. 
One of their ships, the Qa Ira , of eighty-four guns, car¬ 
ried away 1 her main and fore top-masts. The Inconstant 
frigate fired at the disabled ship, but received so many 
shot that she was obliged to leave her. Soon afterwards 
a French frigate took the Qa Ira in tow; and the Sans 

1. Carried away. Lost overboard. 


The Life of Nelson 


105 


Culottes , one hundred and twenty, and the Jean Barras, 
seventy-four, kept about gunshot 1 distance on her 
weather bow. 2 The Agamemnon stood towards her, hav¬ 
ing no ship of the line to support her within several 
miles. As she drew near, the Qa Ira fired her stern guns 
so truly, that not a shot missed some part of the ship, 
and, latterly, the masts were struck by every shot. It 
had been Nelson’s intention not to fire before he touched 
her stern ; 3 but seeing how impossible it was he should 
be supported, and how certainly the Agamemnon must 
be severely cut up, if her masts were disabled, he altered 
his plan according to the occasion. As soon, therefore, 
as he was within a hundred yards of her stern, he ordered 
the helm to be put a-starboard, and the driver and after¬ 
sails to be brailed up and shivered; and, as the ship 
fell off, gave the enemy her whole broadside. They in¬ 
stantly braced up the after-yards, put the helm a-port, 
and stood after her again. This maneuver 4 he practiced 
for two hours and a quarter, never allowing the Ca Ira 
to get a single gun from either side to bear on him; and 
when the French fired their after-guns now, it was no 
longer with coolness and precision, for every shot went 
far ahead. By this time her sails were hanging in 
tatters, her mizzen-topmast, mizzen-topsail, and cross¬ 
jack-yards, shot away. But the frigate which had her in 
tow hove in stays, 5 and got her round. Both these French 
ships now brought their guns to bear, and opened their 
fire. The Agamemnon passed them within half-pistol 

1. Gunshot. About 250 yards. 

2. On her weather how. Opposite the bow, on the side toward the 

wind. 

3. Touched her stern. Came up with her. 

4. This maneuver. “By the use of helm and sails, the ship alter¬ 
nately turned her starboard side to fire her batteries and again re¬ 
sumed her course to regain the distance lost by each deviation.”— 
Mahan, Life of Nelson, Vol. I, p. 104. 

5 . Hove in stays. Changed to the opposite tack. 


106 


The Life of Nelson 


shot; almost every shot passed over her, for the French 
had elevated their guns for the rigging, and for distant 
firing, and did not think of altering the elevation. As 
soon as the Agamemnon’s after-guns ceased to bear, she 
hove in stays, keeping a constant fire as she came round: 
and being worked, said Nelson, with as much exactness 
as if she had been turning into Spithead. 1 On getting 
round, he saw that the Sans Culottes, which had wore, 
with many of the enemy’s ships, was under his lee bow, 
and standing to leeward. 2 The Admiral, 3 at the same 
time, made the signal for the van ships 4 to join him. 
Upon this Nelson bore away, and prepared to set all 
sail; and the enemy, having saved their ship, hauled 
close to the wind, and opened upon him a distant and 
ineffectual fire. Only seven of the Agamemnon’s men 
were hurt—a thing which Nelson himself remarked as 
wonderful: her sails and rigging were very much cut, 
and she had many shots in her hull, and some between 
wind and water. 5 The Ca Ira lost 110 men that day, and 
was so cut up that she could not get a topmast aloft 
during the night. 

At daylight on the following morning, the English 
ships were taken aback 6 with a fine breeze at N. W., 
while the enemy’s fleet kept the southerly wind. The 

1. Spithead. The eastern entrance to the harbor of Southampton, 
England. 

2. Wore . . . standing to Iccicard. The French had turned 

with the wind and were now to leeward of Nelson and somewhat ahead 
of him, sailing with the wind fair. 

3. Admiral. The British Admiral, Ilotham. 

4. Tan ships. The ships of the forward division* In the eighteenth 
century the conventional battle formation was in three divisions, van, 
center, and rear. 

5. Between wind and water. In parts of the hull near the water¬ 
line, sometimes exposed and sometimes submerged by the rolling of the 
ship. 

6. Taken aback. Struck by a sudden change of wind, throwing the 
square sails back against the mast. 


The Life of Nelson 


107 


body of their fleet was about five miles distant; the Qa 
Ira, and the Censeur, seventy-four, which had her in 
tow, about three and a half. All sail was made to cut 
these ships off; and, as the French attempted to save 
them, a partial action was brought on. The Agamemnon 
was engaged with her yesterday’s antagonist; but she 1 
had to fight on both sides the ship at the same time. The 
Qa Ira and the Censeur fought most gallantly: the first 
lost nearly 300 men, in addition to her former loss; the 
last 350. Both at last struck: and Lieutenant Andrews, 
of the Agamemnon, brother to the lady to whom Nelson 
had become attached in France, and, in Nelson’s own 
words, “as gallant an officer as ever stepped a quarter¬ 
deck,” hoisted English colors on board them both. The 
rest of the enemy’s ships behaved very ill. As soon as 
these vessels had struck, Nelson went to Admiral Hot- 
ham, and proposed that the two prizes should be left 
with the Illustrious and Courageux, which had been 
crippled in the action, and with four frigates, and that 
the rest of the fleet should pursue the enemy, and follow 
up the advantage to the utmost. But his reply was— 
“We must be contented; we have done very well.”— 
“Now,” said Nelson, “had we taken ten sail, and al¬ 
lowed the eleventh to escape, when it had been possible 
to have got at her, I could never have called it well 
done.* Goodall backed me: I got him to write the Ad- 

1. She. The French ship. 

* “I can, entre nous,” says Sir William Hamilton, in a letter to 
Nelson, “perceive that my old friend, Hotham, is not quite awake 
enough for such a command as that of the king’s fleet in the Medi¬ 
terranean, although he appears the best creature imaginable.”— 
Southey’s Note. 

“He is careful of us,” wrote Nelson, “and will not suffer a line-of- 
battle ship to get out of his sight.” Professor Laughton points out 
that, had the French fleet been completely destroyed at this time, a 
French army could hardly have invaded Italy. Spain would have 
held to the English alliance, and Napoleon’s expedition to Egypt would 



108 


The Life of Nelson 


rairal; but it would not do. We should have had such 
a day as, I believe, the annals of England never pro¬ 
duced.” In this letter, the character of Nelson fully 
manifests itself. “I wish,” said he, “to be an admiral, 
and in the command of the English fleet: I should very 
soon either do much, or be ruined: my disposition can¬ 
not bear tame and slow measures. Sure I am, had I 
commanded on the 14th, that either the whole French 
fleet would have graced my triumph, or I should have 
been in a confounded scrape.” What the event would 
have been, he knew from his prophetic feelings and his 
own consciousness of power: and we also know it now, 
for Aboukir and Trafalgar have told it. 

The Qa Ira and Censeur probably defended them¬ 
selves with more obstinacy in this action, from a persua¬ 
sion that, if they struck, no quarter would be given; 
because they had fired red-hot shot, and had also a 
preparation, sent, as they said, by the Convention from 
Paris, which seems to have been of the nature of the 
Greek fire; for it became liquid when it was discharged, 
and water would not extinguish its flames. This com¬ 
bustible was concealed with great care in the captured 
ships: like the red-hot shot, it had been found useless 
in battle. Admiral Hotham’s action saved Corsica for 
the time; but the victory had been incomplete, and the 
arrival at Toulon of six sail of the line, two frigates, 
and two cutters, from Brest, gave the French a supe¬ 
riority which v had they known how to use it, would 
materially have endangered the British Mediterranean 
fleet. That fleet had been greatly neglected during Lord 
Chatham’s administration at the Admiralty; and it did 
not, for some time, feel the beneficial effect of his 

have remained undreamed of. Thus “the rise and grandeur of Na¬ 
poleon’s career are bound up with Hotham’s irresolution on the 13th.” 
—Life of Nelson, p. 73. 


The Life of Nelson 


109 


removal. Lord Hood had gone home to represent the 
real state of affairs, and solicit reinforcements adequate 
to the exigencies of the time, and the importance of 
the scene of action. But that fatal error of under¬ 
proportioning the force to the service—that ruinous 
economy, which, by sparing a little, renders all that is 
spent useless, infected the British councils; and Lord 
Hood, not being able to obtain such reinforcements as 
he knew were necessary, resigned the command. ‘ * Sure¬ 
ly,” said Nelson, “the people at home have forgotten 
us.” Another Neapolitan seventy-four joined Admiral 
Hotham; and Nelson observed with sorrow, that this was 
matter of exultation to an English fleet. When the 
store-ships and victuallers from Gibraltar arrived, their 
escape from the enemy was thought wonderful; and yet, 
had they not escaped, “the game,” said Nelson, “was 
up here. At this moment our operations are at a stand 
for want of ships to support the Austrians in getting 
possesion of the sea-coast of the King of Sardinia; 1 
and, behold, our Admiral does not feel himself equal to 
show himself, much less to give assistance in their opera¬ 
tions.” It was reported that the French were again 
out with eighteen or twenty sail. The combined British 
and Neapolitan were but sixteen; should the enemy be 
only eighteen, Nelson made no doubt of a complete vic¬ 
tory, but if there were twenty, he said, it was not to be 
expected: and a battle, without complete victory, would 
have been destruction, because another mast was not to 
be got on that side Gibraltar. At length Admiral 
Man arrived with a squadron from England. “What 
they can mean by sending him with only five sail of the 
line,” said Nelson, “is truly astonishing: but all men 

1. Sea coast of the King of Sardinia. The coast of Piedmont, In 
western Italy, which constituted the chief part of the Sardinian king¬ 
dom. 



110 


The Life of Nelson 


are alike, and we in this country do not find any amend¬ 
ment or alteration from the old Board of Admiralty. 
They should know that half the ships in the fleet require 
to go to England; and that long ago they ought to 
have reinforced us. ” 

About this time Nelson was made Colonel of Marines r 1 
a mark of approbation which he had long wished for 
rather than expected. It came in good season, for his 
spirits were oppressed by the thought that his services 
had not been acknowledged as they deserved; and it 
abated the resentful feeling which would else have been 
excited by the answer to an application to the War- 
Office. During his four months’ land service in Cor¬ 
sica, he had lost all his ship-furniture, owing to the 
movements of a camp. LTpon this he wrote to the Sec- 
retary-at-War, briefly stating what his services on shore 
had been, and saying, he trusted it was not asking an 
improper thing to request that the same allowance might 
be made to him which would be made to a land officer of 
his rank, which, situated as he was, would be that of a 
Brigadier-General: if this could not be accorded, he 
hoped that his additional expenses would be paid him. 
The answer which he received was, “that no pay had 
ever been issued under the direction of the War-Office 
to officers of the navy serving with the army on shore.” 

He now entered upon a new line of service. The Aus¬ 
trian and Sardinian armies, under General de Vins, 
required a British squadron to co-operate with them 
in driving the French from the Riviera di Genoa: 2 and 
as Nelson had been so much in the habit of soldiering, it 
was immediately fixed that the Brigadier should go. He 
sailed from St. Fiorenzo on this destination; but fell in, 

1. Colonel of Marines. A sinecure appointment, of which there were 
then four, given to post-captains for distinguished service, and vacated 
by them on promotion. 

2. Riviera di Genoa. The Genoese coast. 


The Life of Nelson 


111 


off Cape del Mele, with the enemy’s fleet, who imme¬ 
diately gave his squadron chase. The chase lasted four- 
and-twenty hours; and owing to the fickleness of the 
wind, the British ships were somewhat hard pressed: 
but the want of skill on the part of the French gave 
them many advantages. Nelson beat his way back to St. 
Fiorenzo, where the fleet, which was in the midst of 
watering and refitting, had, for seven hours, the morti¬ 
fication of seeing him almost in possession of the enemy, 
before the wind would allow them to put out to his 
assistance. The French, however, at evening, went off, 
not choosing to approach nearer the shore. During the 
night, Admiral Hotham, by great exertions, got under 
weigh; and, having sought the enemy four days, came 
in sight of them on the fifth. Baffling winds and vexa¬ 
tious calms, so common in the Mediterranean, rendered 
it impossible to close with them; only a partial action 
could be brought on; and then the firing made a per¬ 
fect calm. The French, being to windward, drew in 
shore; and the English fleet was becalmed six or seven 
miles to the westward. L’Alcide, of seventy-four guns, 
struck; but before she could be taken possession of, a 
box of combustibles in her fore-top took fire, and the 
unhappy crew experienced how far more perilous their 
inventions were to themselves than to their enemies. So 
rapid was the conflagration, that the French in their 
official account say, the hull, the masts, and sails, all 
seemed to take fire at the same moment; and though 
the English boats were put out to the assistance of the 
poor wretches on board, not more than 200 could be 
saved. The Agamemnon, and Captain Rowley in the 
Cumberland, were just getting into close action a second 
time, when the Admiral called them off, the wind now 
being directly into the Gulf of Frejus, where the enemy 
anchored after the evening closed. 


112 


The Life of Nelson 


Nelson now proceeded to his station with eight sail 
of frigates under his command. Arriving at Genoa, he 
had a conference with Mr. Drake, the British Envoy to 
that state; the result of which was, that the object of the 
British must be, to put an entire stop to all trade be¬ 
tween Genoa, France, and the places occupied by the 
French troops; for, unless this trade were stopped, it 
would be scarcely possible for the allied armies to hold 
their situation, and impossible for them to make any 
progress in driving the enemy out of the Riviera di 
Genoa. Mr. Drake was of opinion, that even Nice 
might fall for want of supplies, if the trade with Genoa 
were cut off. This sort of blockade Nelson could not 
carry on without great risk to himself. A captain in 
the Navy, as he represented to the Envoy, is liable to 
prosecution for detention and damages. 1 This danger 
was increased by an order which had then lately been 
issued; by which, when a neutral ship was detained, a 
complete specification of her cargo was directed to be 
sent to the Secretary of the Admiralty, and no legal 
process instituted against her till the pleasure of that 
Board should be communicated. This was requiring an 
impossibility. The cargoes of ships detained upon this 
station, consisting chiefly of corn, would be spoiled long 
before the orders of the Admiralty could be known; 
and then, if they should happen to release the vessel, 
the owners would look to the captain for damages. 
Even the only precaution which could be taken against 
this danger involved another danger not less to be appre¬ 
hended ; for, if the captain should direct the cargo to be 
taken out, the freight paid for, and the vessel released, 
the agent employed might prove fraudulent, and be¬ 
come bankrupt; and in that case the captain became re- 

1. Detention and damages. Unwarranted detention of a neutral 
ship, and damage to her cargo. 


The Life of Nelson 


113 


sponsible. Such things had happened; Nelson there¬ 
fore required, as the only means for carrying on that 
service, which was judged essential to the common 
cause, without exposing the officers to ruin, that the 
British Envoy should appoint agents to pay the freight, 
release the vessels, sell the cargo, and hold the amount 
till process was had upon it: Government thus securing 
its officers. “I am acting,” said Nelson, “not only with¬ 
out the orders of my Commander-in-Chief, but, in some 
measure, contrary to him. However, I have not only 
the support of his Majesty’s ministers, both at Turin 
and Genoa, but a consciousness that I am doing what is 
right and proper for the service of our king and coun¬ 
try. Political courage, in an officer abroad, is as highly 
necessary as military courage.” 

This quality, which is as much rarer than military 
courage, as it is more valuable, and without which the 
soldier’s bravery is often of little avail, Nelson possessed 
in an eminent degree. His representations were attended 
to as they deserved. Admiral Hotham commended him 
for what he had done; and the attention of Government 
was awakened to the injury which the cause of the 
allies continually suffered from the frauds of neutral 
vessels. “What changes in my life of activity!” said 
this indefatigable man. “Here I am; having com¬ 
menced a co-operation with an old Austrian General, 
almost fancying myself charging at the head of a troop 
of horse! I do not write less than from ten to twenty 
letters every day; which, with the Austrian General 
and aides-de-camp, and my own little squadron, fully 
employ my time. This I like;—active service, or none.” 
It was Nelson’s mind which supported his feeble body 
through these exertions. He was at this time almost 
blind, and wrote with very great pain. “Poor Aga¬ 
memnon,” he sometimes said, “was as nearly worn out 


114 


The Life of Nelson 


as her Captain; and both must soon be laid up to 
repair.” 

When Nelson first saw General de Tins, he thought 
him an able man, who was willing to act with vigor. The 
general charged his inactivity upon the Piedmontese 
and Neapolitans, whom, he said, nothing could induce to 
act; and he concerted a plan with Nelson, for embark¬ 
ing a part of the Austrian army, and landing it in the 
rear of the French. But the English Commodore soon 
began to suspect that the Austrian General was little 
disposed to any active operations. In the hope of spur¬ 
ring him on, he wrote to him, telling him that he had 
surveyed the coast to the westward as far as Nice, and 
would undertake to embark four or five thousand men, 
with their arms, and a few days’ provisions, on board 
the squadron, and land them within two miles of St. 
Remo, with their field-pieces. Respecting further pro¬ 
visions for the Austrian army, he would provide con¬ 
voys, that they should arrive in safety; and if a re¬ 
embarkation should be found necessary, he would cover 
it with the squadron. The possession of St. Remo, as 
headquarters for magazines of every kind, would enable 
the Austrian General to turn his army to the eastward 
or westward. The enemy at Oneglia would be cut off 
from provisions, and men could be landed to attack that 
place whenever it was judged necessary. St, Remo 
was the only place between Vado and Ville Franche 
where the squadron could lie in safety, and anchor- in 
almost all winds. The bay was not as good as Vado for 
large ships; but it had a mole, 1 which Vado had not, 
where all small vessels could lie, and load and unload 
their cargoes. This bay being in possession of the allies, 
Nice could be completely blockaded by sea. General de 
Vins, affecting, in his reply, to consider that Nelson’s 

1. Mole. Breakwater. 


The Life of Nelson 


115 


proposal had no other end than that of obtaining the 
Bay of St. Remo as a station for the ships, told him, 
what he well knew, and had expressed before, that Yado 
Bay was a better anchorage; nevertheless, if Monsieur 
le Commandant Nelson was well assured that part of the 
fleet could winter there, there was no risk to which he 
would not expose himself with pleasure, for the sake 
of procuring a safe station for the vessels of his Bri¬ 
tannic Majesty. Nelson soon assured the Austrian com¬ 
mander that this was not the object of his memorial. 
He now began to suspect that both the Austrian court 
and their General had other ends in view than the cause 
of their allies. “This army,” said he, “is slow beyond 
all description; and I begin to think that the Emperor is 
anxious to touch another four millions of English money. 
As for the German Generals, war is their trade, and 
peace is ruin to them; therefore we cannot expect that 
they should have any wish to finish the war. The poli¬ 
tics of courts are so mean, that private people would be 
ashamed to act in the same way: all is trick and finesse , 
to which the common cause is sacrificed. The General 
wants a loophole; it has for some time appeared to me 
that he means to go no farther than his present position, 
and to lay the miscarriage of the enterprise against 
Nice, which has always been held out as the great object 
of his army, to the non-co-operation of the British fleet, 
and of the Sardinians.” 

To prevent this plea, Nelson again addressed de Vins, 
requesting only to know the time, and the number of 
troops ready to embark; then he w 7 ould, he said, dis¬ 
patch a ship to Admiral Hotham, requesting transports, 
having no doubt of obtaining them, and trusting that 
the plan would be successful to its fullest extent. Nel¬ 
son thought at the time, that if the whole fleet were 
offered him for transports, he would find some other 


116 


The Life of Nelson 


excuse; and Mr. Drake, who was now appointed to 
reside at the Austrian headquarters, entertained the 
same idea of the General’s sincerity. It was not, how¬ 
ever, put so clearly to the proof as it ought to have 
been. He replied, that as soon as Nelson could declare 
himself ready with the vessels necessary for conveying 
10,000 men, with their artillery and baggage, he would 
put the army in motion. But Nelson was not enabled 
to do this: Admiral Ilotham, who was highly merito¬ 
rious in leaving such a man so much at his own discre¬ 
tion, pursued a cautious system, ill-according with the 
bold and comprehensive views of Nelson, who continu¬ 
ally regretted Lord Hood, saying, that the nation had 
suffered much by his resignation of the Mediterranean 
command. The plan which had been concerted, he 
said, would astonish the French, and perhaps the 
English. 

There was no unity in the views of the allied powers, 
no cordiality in their co-operation, no energy in their 
councils. The neutral powers assisted France more 
effectually than the allies assisted each other. The 
Genoese ports were at this time filled with French pri¬ 
vateers, which swarmed out every night, and covered the 
gulf; and French vessels were allowed to tow out of 
the port of Genoa itself, board vessels which were com¬ 
ing in, and then return into the mole. This was allowed 
without a remonstrance; while, though Nelson abstained 
most carefully from offering any offense to the Genoese 
territory or flag, complaints were so repeatedly made 
against his squadron, that, he says, it seemed a trial 
who should be tired first: they of complaining, or he 
of answering their complaints. But the question of 
neutrality was soon at an end. An Austrian com¬ 
missary was travelling from Genoa towards Vado; it 
was known that he was to sleep at Voltri, and that he 


The Life of Nelson 


117 


had £10,000 with him,—a booty which the French Min¬ 
ister in that city, and the captain of a French frigate in 
that port, considered as far more important than the 
word of honor of the one, the duties of the other, and 
the laws of neutrality. The boats of the frigate went 
out with some privateers, landed, robbed the commis¬ 
sary, and brought back the money to Genoa. The next 
day men were publicly enlisted in that city for the 
French army: 700 men were embarked, with 7000 stand 
of arms, 1 on board the frigates and other vessels, who 
were to land between Voltri and Savona: 2 —there a de¬ 
tachment from the French army was to join them, and 
the Genoese peasantry were to be invited to insurrection, 
—a measure for which everything had been prepared. 
The night of the 13th was fixed for the sailing of this 
expedition: the Austrians called loudly for Nelson to 
prevent it; and he, on the evening of the 13th, arrived 
at Genoa. His presence checked the plan: the frigate, 
knowing her deserts, got within the merchant ships, in 
the inner mole; and the Genoese government did not 
now even demand of Nelson respect to the neutral port, 
knowing that they had allowed, if not connived at, a 
flagrant breach of neutrality, and expecting the answer 
which he was prepared to return, that it was useless and 
impossible for him to respect it longer. 

But though this movement produced the immediate 
effect which was designed, it led to ill consequences, 
which Nelson foresaw, but, for want of sufficient force, 
was unable to prevent. His squadron was too small for 
the service which it had to perform.. He required two 
seventy-fours, and eight or ten frigates and sloops; but 
when he demanded this reinforcement, Admiral Hotham 

1. Stand of arms. Each “stand” includes weapons and equipment 
for one soldier. 

2. Voltri and Savona. Towns on the coast, the first nine miles and 
the second about twenty-five miles west of Genoa. 


118 


The Life of Nelson 


had left the command; Sir Hyde Parker succeeded till 
the new commander should arrive; and he immediately 
reduced it almost to nothing, leaving him only one 
frigate and a brig. This was a fatal error. While the 
Austrian and Sardinian troops, whether from the im¬ 
becility or the treachery of their leaders, remained in¬ 
active, the French were preparing for the invasion of 
Italy. Not many days before Nelson was thus sum¬ 
moned to Genoa, he chased a large convoy into Alassio. 
Twelve vessels he had formerly destroyed in that port, 
though 2000 French troops occupied the town: this 
former attack had made them take new measures of 
defence; and there were now above 100 sail of victual¬ 
lers, gunboats, and ships of war. Nelson represented to 
the admiral how important it was to destroy these ves¬ 
sels; and offered, with his squadron of frigates, and the 
Culloden and Courageux, to lead himself in the Aga¬ 
memnon, and take or destroy the whole. The attempt 
was not permitted: but it was Nelson’s belief, that, if 
it had been made, it would have prevented the attack 
upon the Austrian army, which took place almost imme¬ 
diately afterwards. 

General de Tins demanded satisfaction of the Genoese 
government for the seizure of his commissary; and then, 
without waiting for their reply, took possession of some 
empty magazines of the French, and pushed his sen¬ 
tinels to the very gates of Genoa. Had he done so at 
first, he would have found the magazines full; but 
timed as the measure was, and useless as it was to the 
cause of the allies^ it was in character with the whole 
of the Austrian General’s conduct: and it is no small 
proof of the dexterity with which he served the enemy, 
that in such circumstances he could so act with Genoa, 
as to contrive to put himself in the wrong. Nelson was 
at this time, according to his own expression, placed in 


The Life of Nelson 119 

a cleft stick. Mr. Drake, the Austrian Minister, and 
the Austrian General, all joined in requiring him not to 
leave Genoa: if he left that port unguarded, they said, 
not only the imperial troops at St. Pier d ’Arena 1 and 
Voltri would be lost, but the French plan for taking 
post between Voltri and Savona would certainly suc¬ 
ceed : if the Austrians should be worsted in the ad¬ 
vanced posts, the retreat by the Bocchetta 2 would be cut 
off; and, if this happened, the loss of the army would 
be imputed to him, for having left Genoa. On the other 
hand, he knew that if he were not at Pietra , 3 the 
enemy’s gunboats would harass the left flank of the 
Austrians, who, if they were defeated, as was to be 
expected, from the spirit of all their operations, would 
very probably lay their defeat to the want of assistance 
from the Agamemnon. Had the force for which Nel¬ 
son applied been given him, he could have attended to 
both objects: and had he been permitted to attack the 
convoy in Alassio, he would have disconcerted the plans 
of the French, in spite of the Austrian General. He 
had foreseen the danger, and pointed out how it might 
be prevented; but the means of preventing it were with¬ 
held. The attack was made, as he foresaw; and the gun¬ 
boats brought their fire to bear upon the Austrians. It 
so happened, however, that the left flank, which was 
exposed to them, was the only part of the army that be¬ 
haved well; this division stood its ground till the center 
and the right wing fled, and then retreated in a soldier¬ 
like manner. General de Vins gave up the command in 
the middle of the battle, pleading ill health. “From 
that moment,” says Nelson, “not a soldier stayed at 
his post:—it was the devil take the hindmost. Many 

1. St. Pier d’Arena. A suburb of Genoa. 

2 The Bocclietta. A pass through the Apennines fifteen miles north 
of Genoa. 

3. Pietra. A town on the coast, about thirty miles west of Genoa. 


120 


The Life of Nelson 


thousands ran away who had never seen the enemy; 
some of them thirty miles from the advanced posts. 
Had I not, though, I own, against my inclination, been 
kept at Genoa, from eight to ten thousand men would 
have been taken prisoners, and, amongst the number, 
General de Vins himself: but, by this means, the pass of 
the Bocchetta was kept open. The purser of the ship, 
who was at Vado, ran with the Austrians eighteen miles 
without stopping: the men without arms, officers without 
soldiers, women without assistance. The oldest officer, 
say they, never heard of so complete a defeat, and cer¬ 
tainly without any reason. Thus has ended my cam¬ 
paign.—We have established the French republic; which, 
but for us, I verily believe, would never have been set¬ 
tled by such a volatile, changeable people. I hate a 
Frenchman: they are equally objects of my detestation, 
whether royalists or republicans: in some points, I be¬ 
lieve, the latter are the best.” Nelson had a lieutenant 
and two midshipmen taken at Vado: they told him, in 
their letter, that few of the French soldiers were more 
than three or four and twenty years old, a great many 
not more than fourteen, and all were nearly naked: 
they were sure, they said, his barge’s crew 1 could have 
beat a hundred of them; and that, had he himself seen 
them, he would not have thought, if the world had been 
covered with such people, that they could have beaten 
the Austrian army. 

The defeat of General de Vins gave the enemy pos¬ 
session of the Genoese coast from Savona to Voltri; 
and it deprived the Austrians of their direct communi¬ 
cation with the English fleet. The Agamemnon , there¬ 
fore, could no longer be useful on this station, and 
Nelson sailed for Leghorn to refit (about December 8th). 
When the ship went into dock, there was not a mast, 

1. Barge’s crew. From ten to twelve men. See p. 141. 


The Life of Nelson 


121 


yard, sail, or any part of the rigging, but what stood in 
need of repair, having been cut to pieces with shot. The 
hull was so damaged, that it had for some time been 
secured by cables, which were served or thrapped 

round it. 


CHAPTER IV 


Sir J. Jervis takes the command—Genoa joins the French—Bona¬ 
parte begins his career—Evacuation of Corsica—Nelson hoists 
his broad pendant in the Mincrve —Action with the Sabina —Battle 
off Cape St. Vincent—Nelson commands the inner squadron at the 
blockade of Cadiz—Boat action in the Bay of Cadiz—Expedition 
against Teneriffe—Nelson loses an arm—His sufferings in England, 
and recovery. 

Sir John Jervis liad now 1 arrived to take the com¬ 
mand of the Mediterranean fleet. The Agamemnon 
having, as her captain said, been made as fit for sea as 
a rotten ship could be, Nelson sailed from Leghorn, and 
joined the Admiral in Fiorenzo Bay. 2 “I found him,” 
said he, “anxious to know many things, which I was 
a good deal surprised to find had not been communi¬ 
cated to him by others in the fleet; and it would appear 
that he was so well satisfied with my opinion of what is 
likely to happen, and the means of prevention to be 
taken, that he had no reserve with me respecting his 
information and ideas of what is likely to be done.” The 
manner in which Nelson was received is said to have ex¬ 
cited some envy. One captain observed to him: “You 
did just as you pleased in Lord Hood’s time, the same 
in Admiral Hotham’s, and now again with Sir John 
Jervis: it makes no difference to you who is Commander- 
in-Chief.” A higher compliment could not have been 
paid to any Commander-in-Chief, than to say of him, 
that he understood the merits of Nelson, and left him, 
as far as possible, to act upon his own judgment. 

Sir John Jervis offered him the St. George, ninety, or 

1. November, 179ft. 

2. Fiorenzo Bay. On the northwest coast of Corsica. See p. 95. 

122 


The Life of Nelson 


123 


the Zealous, seventy-four, and asked if he should have 
any objection to serve under him with his flag. 1 He re¬ 
plied, that if the Agamemnon were ordered home, and 
his flag were not arrived, he should, on many accounts, 
wish to return to England: still, if the war continued, 
he should be very proud of hoisting his flag under Sir 
John’s command. “We cannot spare you,” said Sir 
John, “either as captain or admiral.” Accordingly, he 
resumed his station in the Gulf of Genoa. The French 
had not followed up their successes in that quarter with 
their usual celerity. Scherer, who commanded there, 
owed his advancement to any other cause than his merit; 
he was a favorite of the Directory; 2 but, for the pres¬ 
ent, through the influence of Barras, 3 he was removed 
from a command for which his incapacity was after¬ 
wards clearly proved, and Bonaparte was appointed 
to succeed him. Bonaparte had given indications 
of his military talents at Toulon, and of his remorse¬ 
less nature at Paris: but the extent either of his ability 
or his wickedness was at this time known to none, and 
perhaps not even suspected by himself. 

Nelson supposed, from the information which he had 
obtained, that one column of the French army would 
take possession of Port Especia; either penetrating 
through the Genoese territory, or proceeding coastways 
in light vessels; our ships of war not being able to ap¬ 
proach the coast because of the shallowness of the water. 
To prevent this, he said, two things were necessary: the 
possession of Vado Bay, and the taking of Port Especia; 

if either of these points were secured, Italy would be safe 

# 

1. With his flag. After his promotion to the rank of rear-admiral. 

2. The Directory . A body of five members, in control of France 
from Oct. 27, 1795, till the coup d’etat of Nov. 9, 1799, which put 
Napoleon in power. 

3. Barras. A member of the Directory ; responsible for Napoleon’s 
promotion to supreme command in Italy. 




124 


The Life of Nelson 


from any attack of the French by sea. General Beau¬ 
lieu, who had now superseded De Vins in the command 
of the allied Austrian and Sardinian army, sent his 
nephew and aide-de-camp to communicate with Nelson, 
and inquire whether he could anchor in any other place 
than Vado Bay. Nelson replied, that Vado was the 
only place where the British fleet could lie in safety: 
but all places would suit his squadron; and wherever 
the General came down to the sea-coast, there he should 
find it. The Austrian repeatedly asked, if there was 
not a risk of losing the squadron; and was constantly 
answered, that if these ships should be lost, the Ad¬ 
miral would find others. But all plans of co-operation 
with the Austrians were soon frustrated by the battle 
of Montenotte. 1 Beaulieu ordered an attack to be made 
upon the post of Voltri:—it was made twelve hours be¬ 
fore the time which he had fixed, and before he arrived 
to direct it. In consequence, the French were enabled 
to effect their retreat, and fall back to Montenotte; thus 
giving the troops there a decisive superiority in number 
over the division which attacked them. This drew on 
the defeat of the Austrians. Bonaparte, with a celerity 
which had never before been witnessed in modern war, 
pursued his advantages, and, in the course of a fort¬ 
night, dictated to the court of Turin terms of peace, or 
rather of submission; by which all the strongest places 
of Piedmont were put into his hands. 

On one occasion, and only on one, Nelson was able to 
impede the progress of this new conqueror. Six vessels, 
laden with cannon and ordnance-stores for the siege of 
Mantua, sailed from Toulon for St. Pier d’Arena, As¬ 
sisted by Captain Cockburn, in the Meleager, he drove 
them under a battery, pursued them, silenced the bat¬ 
teries, and captured the whole. Military books, plans, 

1 . Battle of Montenotte. April 12, 1796. 


The Life of Nelson 


125 


and maps of Italy, with the different points marked 
upon them where former battles had been fought, sent 
by the Directory for Bonaparte’s use, were found in 
the convoy. The loss of this artillery was one of the 
chief causes which compelled the French to raise the 
siege of Mantua: but there was too much treachery, and 
too much imbecility, both in the councils and armies of 
the allied powers, for Austria to improve this momen¬ 
tary success. Bonaparte perceived that the conquest of 
all Italy w T as within his reach: treaties, and the rights 
of neutral or friendly powers, were as little regarded 
by him as by the government for which he acted. In 
open contempt of both he entered Tuscany, and took 
possession of Leghorn. In consequence of this move¬ 
ment, Nelson blockaded that port, and landed a British 
force in the Isle of Elba, to secure Porto Ferrajo. Soon 
afterwards he took the island of Capraja, which had 
formerly belonged to Corsica, being less than forty miles 
distant from it: a distance, however, short as it was, 
which enabled the Genoese to retain it, after their in¬ 
famous sale of Corsica to France. Genoa had now 
taken part with France: its government had long 
covertly assisted the French, and now willingly yielded 
to the first compulsory menace which required them to 
exclude the English from their ports. Capraja was 
seized, in consequence: but this act of vigor was not 
followed up as it ought to have been. England at that 
time depended too much upon the feeble governments 
of the Continent, and too little upon itself. It was 
determined by the British Cabinet to evacuate Corsica, 
as soon as Spain should form an offensive alliance with 
France. This event, which, from the moment that 
Spain had been compelled to make peace, was clearly 
foreseen, had now taken place ; x and orders for the 

1. Had now taken place. October 19, 1796. 


126 


The Life of Nelson 


evacuation of the island were immediately sent out. It 
was impolitic to annex this island to the British do¬ 
minions ; but, having done so, it was disgraceful thus to 
abandon it. The disgrace would have been spared, and 
every advantage which could have been derived from 
the possession of the island secured, if the people had 
at first been left to form a government for themselves, 
and protected by us in the enjoyment of their inde¬ 
pendence. 

The Viceroy, Sir Gilbert Elliot, deeply felt the im¬ 
policy and ignominy of this evacuation. The fleet also 
was ordered to leave the Mediterranean. This resolution 
was so contrary to the last instructions which had been 
received, that Nelson exclaimed:—“Do his Majesty’s 
ministers know their own minds? They at home,” said 
he, “do not know what this fleet is capable of perform¬ 
ing—anything and everything. Much as I shall rejoice 
to see England, I lament our present orders in sack¬ 
cloth and ashes, so dishonorable to the dignity of Eng¬ 
land, whose fleets are equal to meet the world in arms; 
and of all the fleets I ever saw, I never beheld one, 
in point of officers and men, equal to Sir John Jervis’s, 
who is a Commander-in-Chief able to lead them to 
glory.” Sir Gilbert Elliot believed that the great body 
of the Corsicans were perfectly satisfied, as they had 
good reason to be, wfith the British government, sen¬ 
sible of its advantages, and attached to it. However 
this may have been, when they found that the English 
intended to evacuate the island, they naturally and 
necessarily sent to make their peace with the French. 
The partisans of France found none to oppose them. A 
committee of thirty took upon them the government of 
Bastia, and sequestrated 1 all the British property: 
armed Corsicans mounted guard at every place, and 

1. Sequestrated. Seized for the use of the state. 


The Life of Nelson 


127 


a plan was laid for seizing the Viceroy. Nelson, who 
was appointed to superintend the evacuation, frustrated 
these projects. At a time when every one else de¬ 
spaired of saving stores, cannon, provisions, or property 
of any kind, and a privateer was moored across the 
mole-head to prevent all boats from passing, he sent 
word to the Committee, that if the slightest opposition 
were made to the embarkation and removal of British 
property, he would batter the town down. The priva¬ 
teer pointed her guns at the officer who carried this 
message, and muskets were levelled against his boats 
from the mole-head. Upon this, Captain Sutton, of the 
Egmont, pulling out his watch, gave them a quarter of 
an hour to deliberate upon their answer. In five min¬ 
utes after the expiration of that time, the ships, he 
said, would open their fire. Upon this the very sentinels 
scampered off, and every vessel came out of the mole. 
A shipowner complained to the Commodore, that the 
municipality refused to let him take his goods out of 
the custom-house. Nelson directed him to say, that 
unless they were instantly delivered, he w T ould open his 
fire. The Committee turned pale; and, without answer¬ 
ing a word, gave him the keys. Their last attempt was 
to levy a duty upon the things that were re-embarked. 
He sent them word, that he would pay them a disagree¬ 
able visit, if there were any more complaints. The 
Committee then finding that they had to deal with a 
man who knew his own power, and was determined to 
make the British name respected, desisted from the 
insolent conduct which they had assumed; and it was 
acknowledged, that Bastia had never been so quiet and 
orderly since the English were in possession of it. This 
was on the 14th of October: during the five following 
days the work of embarkation was carried on, the pri¬ 
vate property was saved, and public stores to the amount 
5 


128 


The Life of Nelson 


of £200,000. The French, favored by the Spanish fleet, 
which was at that time within twelve leagues of Bastia, 
pushed over troops from Leghorn, who landed near Cape 
Corse on the 18th, and on the 20th, at one in the morn¬ 
ing, entered the citadel, an hour only after the British 
had spiked the guns, and evacuated it. Nelson em¬ 
barked at daybreak, being the last person who left the 
shore; having thus, as he said, seen the first and the 
last of Corsica. Provoked at the conduct of the munici¬ 
pality, and the disposition w T hich the populace had shown 
to profit by the confusion, he turned towards the shore, 
as he stepped into his boat, and exclaimed: “Now, 
John Corse, follow the natural bent of your detestable 
character—plunder and revenge.’’ This, however, was 
not Nelson’s deliberate opinion of the people of Corsica; 
he knew that their vices were the natural consequences 
of internal anarchy and foreign oppression, such as the 
same causes would produce in any people: and when he 
saw, that of all those who took leave of the Viceroy, 
there was not one who parted from him without tears, 
he acknowledged that they manifestly acted, not from 
dislike of the English, but from fear of the French. 
England then might, with more reason, reproach her 
own rulers for pusillanimity, than the Corsicans for 
ingratitude. 

Having thus ably effected this humiliating service, 
Nelson was ordered to hoist his broad pendant on board 
the Minerve frigate, Captain George Cockburn, and, 
with the Blanche under his command, proceed to Porto 
Ferrajo, and superintend the evacuation of that place 
also. On his way, he fell in with two Spanish frigates, 
the Sabina and the Ceres. The Minerve engaged the 
former, which was commanded by Don Jacobo Stuart, a 
descendant of the Duke of Berwick. 1 After an action 

1. Duke of Berwick. An Illegitimate son of James IT of England. 


The Life of Nelson 


129 


of three hours, during which the Spaniards lost 164 
men, the Sabma struck. The Spanish Captain, who 
was the only surviving officer, had hardly been conveyed 
on board the Minerve, when another enemy’s frigate 
came up, compelled her to cast off the prize, and brought 
her a second time to action. After half an hour’s trial 
of strength, this new antagonist wore and hauled off: 1 
but a Spanish squadron of two ships of the line and two 
frigates came in sight. The Blanche, from which the 
Ceres had got off, was far to windward, and the 
Minerve escaped only by the anxiety of the enemy 
to recover their own ship. As soon as Nelson 
reached Porto Ferrajo, he sent his prisoner in a flag of 
truce to Carthagena, having returned him his sword; 
this he did in honor of the gallantry which Don Jacobo 
had displayed, and not without some feeling of respect 
for his ancestry. “I felt it,” said he, “consonant to 
the dignity of my country, and I always act as I feel 
right, without regard to custom: he was reputed the 
best officer in Spain, and his men were worthy of such 
a commander.” By the same flag of truce he sent back 
all the Spanish prisoners at Porto Ferrajo, in exchange 
for whom he received his own men who had been taken 
in the prize. 

General de Burgh, who commanded at the Isle of 
Elba, did not think himself authorized to abandon the 
place, till he had received specific instructions from 
England to that effect; professing that he was unable to 
decide between the contradictory orders of Government, 
or to guess at what their present intentions might be; 
but he said, his only motive for urging delay in this 
measure arose from a desire that his own conduct might 
be properly sanctioned, not from any opinion that Porto 
Ferrajo ought to be retained. But Naples having made 

1. Wore and hauled off. Turned with the wind and withdrew. 


130 


The Life of Nelson 


peace, Sir John Jervis considered his business with Italy 
as concluded; and the protection of Portugal was the 
point to which he was now instructed to attend. Nel¬ 
son, therefore, whose orders were perfectly clear and 
explicit, withdrew the whole naval establishment from 
that station, leaving the transports victualled, and so 
arranged, that all the troops and stores could be em¬ 
barked in three days. He was now about to leave the 
Mediterranean. Mr. Drake, who had been our minister 
at Genoa, expressed to him, on this occasion, the very 
high opinion which the allies entertained of his con¬ 
spicuous merit; adding, that it was impossible for any 
one, who had the honor of co-operating with him, not 
to admire the activity, talents, and zeal, which he had 
so eminently and constantly displayed. In fact, during 
this long course of services in the Mediterranean, the 
whole of his conduct had exhibited the same zeal, the 
same indefatigable energy, the same intuitive judgment, 
the same prompt and unerring decision, which charac¬ 
terized his after-career of glory. His name was as yet 
hardly known to the English public, but it was feared 
and respected throughout Italy. A letter came to him, 
directed, “Horatio Nelson, Genoa:” and the writer, 
when he was asked how he could direct it so vaguely, 
replied, “Sir, there is but one Horatio Nelson in the 
world.” At Genoa, in particular, where he had so long 
been stationed, and where the nature of his duty first 
led him to continual disputes with the government, and 
afterwards compelled him to stop the trade of the port, 
he was equally respected by the Doge and by the people: 
for, while he maintained the rights and interests of 
Great Britain with becoming firmness, he tempered the 
exercise of power with courtesy and humanity, wherever 
duty would permit. “Had all my actions,” said he, 
writing at this time to his wife, “been gazetted, not one 



The Life of Nelson 


131 


fortnight would have passed, during the whole war, 
without a letter from me. One day or other I will have 
a long ‘Gazette’ to myself. I feel that such an oppor¬ 
tunity will be given me. I cannot, if I am in the field 
cf glor}^, be kept out of sight: wherever there is any¬ 
thing to be done, there Providence is sure to direct my 
steps.” 

These hopes and anticipations were soon to be ful- 
fdled. Nelson’s mind had long been irritated and de¬ 
pressed by the fear that a general action would take 
place before he could join the fleet. At length he sailed 
from Porto Ferrajo with a convoy for Gibraltar; and 
having reached that place, proceeded to the* westward in 
search of the Admiral. Off the mouth of the Straits he 
fell in with the Spanish fleet J and, on the 13th of Feb¬ 
ruary, reaching the station off Cape St. Vincent, com¬ 
municated this intelligence to Sir John Jervis. He was 
now directed to shift his broad pendant on board the 
Captain , seventy-four, Captain R. W. Miller; and, be¬ 
fore sunset, the signal was made to 'prepare for action, 
to keep, during the night, in close order. At daybreak 
the enemy were in sight. The British force consisted 
of two ships of one hundred guns, two of ninety-eight, 
two of ninety, eight of seventy-four, and one of sixty- 
four guns: fifteen of the line in all; with four frigates, 
a sloop, and a cutter. The Spaniards had one four 
decker, of one hundred and thirty-six guns, six three 
deckers of one hundred and twelve, two eighty-fours, 

1. Fell in with the Spanish fleet. Two Spanish vessels chased 
Nelson through the Straits. In the midst of the pursuit, a man fell 
overboard, and a jolly-boat, with Lieutenant nardy in command, was 
lqwered to pick him up. On account of the strong eastward current, 
it was evident that the boat could not get back to the frigate unless 
the latter's speed was checked. “By God, I'll not lose Hardy” ex¬ 
claimed Nelson ; “back the mizzen topsail.” The enemy, imagining 
the frigate had caught sight of the British fleet, checked speed also, 
while the Minerve picked up the boat and resumed her course. 



132 


The Life of Nelson 


eighteen seventy-fours: in all, twenty-seven ships of the 
line, with ten frigates and a brig. Their Admiral, Don 
Josef de Cordova, had learned from an American, on 
the 5th, that the English had only nine ships, which was 
indeed the case when his informer had seen them; for a 
reinforcement of five ships from England, under Ad¬ 
miral Parker, had not then joined, and the Culloden 
had parted company. Upon this information, the Span¬ 
ish Commander, instead of going into Cadiz, as was his 
intention when he sailed from Carthagena, determined 
to seek an enemy so inferior in force; and relying, with 
fatal confidence, upon the American account, he suf¬ 
fered his ships to remain too far dispersed, and in some 
disorder. "When the morning of the 14th broke, and dis¬ 
covered the English fleet, a fog for some time concealed 
their number. The lookout ship of the Spaniards, fancy¬ 
ing that her signal was disregarded, because so little 
notice seemed to be taken of it, made another signal, 
that the English force consisted of forty sail of the 
line. The Captain afterwards said he did this to rouse 
the Admiral: it had the effect of perplexing him, and 
alarming the whole fleet. The absurdity of such an act 
shows what was the state of the Spanish navy under 
that miserable government, by which Spain was so 
long oppressed and degraded, and finally betrayed. In 
reality, the general incapacity of the naval officers was 
so well known, that in a pasquinade, 1 which about this 
time appeared at Madrid, wherein the different orders of 
the state were advertised for sale, the greater part of 
the sea-officers, with all their equipments, were offered 
as a gift; and it was added, that any person who would 
please to take them, should receive a handsome gratuity. 
"When the probability that Spain would take part in 
the war, as an ally of France, was first contemplated, 

1. Pasquinade. A satire, or lampoon. 


The Life of Nelson 


133 


Nelson said that their fleet, if it were no better than 
when it acted in alliance with us, would “soon be done 
for. ’ ’ 

Before the enemy could form a regular order of 
battle, Sir John Jervis, by carrying a press of sail, 
came up with them, passed through their fleet, then 
tacked, and thus cut off nine of their ships from the 
main body. These ships attempted to form on the lar¬ 
board tack, 1 either with a design of passing through the 
British line, or to the leeward of it, and thus rejoining 
their friends. Only one of them succeeded in this at¬ 
tempt; and that only because she was so covered with 
smoke that her intention was not discovered till she had 
reached the rear: the others were so warmly received, 
that they put about, took to flight, and did not appear 
again in the action till its close. The Admiral was 
now able to direct his attention to the enemy’s main 
body, which was still superior in number to his whole 
fleet, and more so in weight of mfetal. He made signal 
to tack in succession. Nelson, whose station was in the 
rear of the British line, perceived that the Spaniards 
were bearing up before the wind, with an intention of 
forming their line, going large, and joining their sepa¬ 
rated ships; or else, of getting off without an engage¬ 
ment. To prevent either of these schemes, he disobeyed 
the signal without a moment’s hesitation, and ordered 
his ship to be wore. 2 This at once brought him into 

1. Larboard tack. With the wind blowing on the left side. 

2. Ordered his ship to be wore. To wear is to turn with the wind, 
instead of against it as in tacking. The British fleet and the main 
body of the enemy wen. now passing each other on parallel but oppo 
site courses (see diagram, p. 135), the British beating into the wind, 
and the Spanish “going large” with the wind at a favorable angle. The 
signal to "tack in succession” meant that each British ship must 
keep on its course to the point then occupied by the leading ship, 
before turning t'» pursue the enemy. The order was intended as a 
means of keeping the British ships between the two Spanish divisions. 



134 


The Life of Nelson 


action with the Santissima Trinidad, one hundred and 
thirty-six, the San Josef, one hundred and twelve, the 
Salvador del Mundo, one hundred and twelve, the San 
Nicolas, eighty, the San Isidro, seventy-four, another 
seventy-four, and another first-rate. Troubridge, in 
the Culloden, immediately joined, and most nobly sup¬ 
ported him; and for nearly an hour did the Culloden 
and Captain maintain what Nelson called “this appar¬ 
ently, but not really, unequal contest;”—such was the 
advantage of skill and discipline, and the confidence 
which brave men derive from them. The Blenheim 
then passing between them and the enemy, gave them a 
respite, and poured in her fire upon the Spaniards. The 
Salvador del Mundo and San Isidro dropped a-stern, 
and were fired into, in a masterly style, by the Excellent, 
Captain Collingwood. The San Isidro struck; and Nel¬ 
son thought that the Salvador struck also. “But Col¬ 
lingwood,” says he, “disdaining the parade of taking 
possession of beaten eliemies, most gallantly pushed up, 
with every sail set, to save his old friend and messmate, 
who was, to appearance, in a critical situation;” for the 
Captain was at this time actually fired upon by three 
first-rates, by the San Nicolas, and by a seventy-four, 
within about pistol-shot of that vessel. The Blenheim 
was ahead, the Culloden crippled and a-stern. Colling¬ 
wood ranged up, and hauling up his mainsail 1 just 
a-stern, passed within ten feet of the San Nicolas, giving 
her a most tremendous fire, then passed on for the San¬ 
tissima Trinidad. The San Nicolas luffing up, the San 


Nelson, with the same object, turned at once, thus preventing the 
Spanish from joining to leeward. After the battle one of the British 
captains, Calder, remarked to .Tervis that Nelson’s maneuver was an 
unauthorized departure from the prescribed mode of attack. “It cer¬ 
tainly was so,” replied the admiral, “and if ever you commit such a 
breach of your orders, 1 will forgive you also.” 

1. Hauling up his mainsail. Thus checking his headway. 


The Life of Nelson 


135 


N 



A 

i 

i 

i 

i 

i 


SPANISH 
MAIN) DIVISION 
(21 ships) 


D 


0 

o 0 

/ 0 A 

s-<, /I (J Three Spanish ships ) 

.of/d 


0 Excellent 
9 Diadem 

9 Captain (Nelson) 
9 Namur 
9 Britannia 
f Barfleur 
9 Goliath. 

9 Egmont 
^ Victory (Jervis) 

9 Irresistible 
9 Colossus 


9 Orion 

f George n P Six Spanish 

V a . . V D ships to leeward 
% V Blenheim ^ V 

cross to leeward 

cjT'V y a- o~-o. Culloden (tacks 

^ d & <=> d'""* 


e!m d } 

«)?o 


.*>->** 


1ST. PHASE: Having cut off Spanish leeward ships, Jervis tacks to engage main division 


Sa nNi Co , S 

Sah d‘d^d ; " t,ss ' 

Mun w h a 

\\ U 0 San Josef 


ma 


Trinidad 



t: ' 

v ik\ 


Excellent 


l 

^..'Captain (wears) 4 j 


! i ! 


%Culioden 

i 

V 

v 



LEE DIVISION 


i / / (9 ships) 

^Victory / j 


2iVD. PHASE: Captain wears to prevent Spanish van from running to leeward 


BATTLE OF CAPE ST. VINCENT 
February 14,1797 


BRITISH 

15 ships, 1232 guns 


SPANISH 

27- ships, 2286 guns 
















136 


The Life of Nelson 


Josef fell on board her, 1 and Nelson resumed his station 
abreast of them, and close alongside. The Captain was 
now incapable of farther service, either in the line or in 
chase: she had lost her fore-topmast; not a sail, shroud, 
or rope, was left, and her wheel was shot away. Nelson, 
therefore, directed Captain Miller to put the helm 
a-starboard, and, calling for the boarders, ordered them 
to board. 

Captain Berry, who had lately been Nelson’s First 
Lieutenant, was the first man who leaped into the 
enemy’s mizzen-chains. Miller, when in the very act of 
going, was ordered by Nelson to remain. Berry was 
supported from the spritsail-yard, 2 which locked in the 
$ an Nicolas’s main rigging. A soldier of the 69th 
broke the upper quarter-gallery window, 3 and jumped 
in, followed by the Commodore himself, and by others 
as fast as possible. The cabin doors were fastened, 
and the Spanish officers fired their pistols at them 
through the window: the doors were soon forced, and 
the Spanish Brigadier 4 fell while retreating to the quar¬ 
ter-deck. Nelson pushed on, and found Berry in pos¬ 
session of the poop, and the Spanish ensign hauling 
down. He passed on to the forecastle, where he met two 
or three Spanish officers, and received their swords. The 
English were now in full possession of every part of 
the ship; and a fire of pistols and musketry opened 

| 

1. Fell on "board her. The San Nicolas having swung head into the 
wind as a result of Colllngwood’s attack, the San Josef collided with 
her. 

2. Supported from the spritsail-yard, etc. The Captain’s spritsail- 
yard, a spar across the bowsprit, had become entangled with the rig¬ 
ging of the San Nicolas’s mainmast, and served as a bridge by which 
boarders could cross to the Spanish vessel. 

3. Upper quarter-gallery window. A port or window of the Spanish 
vessel’s after-cabin, which projected beyond the ship’s side. 

4. Brigadier. An officer in command of marines, or soldiers serving 
on ship-board. 


The Life of Nelson 


137 


upon them from the Admiral’s stern gallery of the San 
Josef. Nelson having placed the sentinels at different 
ladders, and ordered Captain Miller to send more men 
into the prize, gave orders for boarding that ship from 
the San Nicolas. 1 It was done in an instant, he himself 
leading the way, and exclaiming—“Westminster Abbey, 2 
or victory!” Berry assisted him into the main-chains; 
and at that moment a Spanish officer looked over the 
quarter-deck rail, and said they surrendered. It was 
not long before he was on the quarter-deck, where the 
Spanish Captain presented to him his sword, and told 
him the Admiral was below, dying of his wounds. There, 
on the quarter-deck of an enemy’s first-rate, he received 
the swords of the officers; giving them, as they were 
delivered, one by one, to William Fearney, one of his 
old “Agamemnons,” who, with the utmost coolness, 
put them under his arm, “bundling them up,” in the 
lively expression of Collingwood, “with as much com¬ 
posure as he would have made a faggot, though twenty- 
two sail of their line were still within gunshot. ’ ’ One of 
his sailors came up, and, with an Englishman’s feeling, 
took him by the hand, saying, he might not soon have 
such another place to do it in, and he was heartily glad 
to see him there. Twenty-four of the Captain’s men 
were killed, and fifty-six wounded; a fourth part of the 
loss sustained by the whole squadron falling upon this 
ship. Nelson received only a few bruises. 

The Spaniards still had eighteen or nineteen ships, 
which had suffered little or no injury: that part of the 
fleet which had been separated from the main body in 

1. Boarding from the San Nicolas. “There is a saying in the fleet.” 
wrote Nelson, “too flattering for me to omit telling, viz., ‘Nelson’s 
Patent Bridge for boarding First-rates,’ alluding to my passing over an 
enemy’s 80-gun ship .”—Despatches (ed. Nicolas), Vol. II, p. 344. 

2. Westminster Abbey. That is, a tomb in the famous abbey, in the 
event of his death in battle. 


138 


The Life of Nelson 


the morning was now coming up, and Sir John Jervis 
made signal to bring-to. His ships could not have 
formed without abandoning those which they had cap¬ 
tured, and running to leeward: the Captain was lying a 
perfect wreck on board 1 her two prizes; and many of 
the other vessels were so shattered in their masts and 
rigging as to be wholly unmanageable. The Spanish 
Admiral, meantime, according to his official account, 
being altogether undecided in his own opinion respect¬ 
ing the state of the fleet, inquired of his captain whether 
it was proper to renew the action; nine of them answered 
explicitly, that it was not; others replied that it was 
expedient to delay the business. The Pelayo and the 
Principe Conquistador were the only ships that were for 
fighting. 

As soon as the action was discontinued, Nelson went 
on board the Admiral’s ship Sir John Jervis received 
him on the quarter-deck, took him in his arms, and said 
he could not sufficiently thank him. For this victory 
the Commander-in-Chief was rewarded with the title 
of Earl St. Vincent.* Nelson, who before the action 


1. On "board. In contact with ; alongside. 

• In the official letter of Sir John Jervis, Nelson was not mentioned. 
It is said, that the Admiral had seen an instance of the ill conse¬ 
quences of such selections, after Lord Howe’s victory ; and, therefore, 
would not name any individual, thinking it proper to speak to the 
public only in terms of general approbation. His private letter to the 
.First Lord of the Admiralty was, with his consent, published, for the 
first time, in a Life of Nelson, by Mr. Harrison. Here it is said, that 
“Commodore Nelson, who was in the rear, on the starboard tack, took 
the lead on the larboard, and contributed very much to the fortune of 
the day.” It is also said, that he boarded the two Spanish ships suc¬ 
cessively ; but the fact, that Nelson wore without orders, and thus 
planned as well as accomplished the victory, is not explicitly stated. 
Perhaps it was thought proper to pass over this part of his conduct in 
silence, as a splendid fault: but such an example is not dangerous. 
The author of the work in which this letter was first made public 
protests against those overzealous friends, “who would make the action 
rather appear as Nelson’s battle, than that of the illustrious Com- 


The Life of Nelson 


139 


was known in England, had been advanced to the rank 
of Rear-Admiral, 1 had the Order of the Bath 2 given 
him. The sword of the Spanish Rear-Admiral, which 
Sir John Jervis insisted upon his keeping, he presented 
to the mayor and corporation of Norwich, saying that 
he knew of no place where it could give him or his family 
more pleasure to have it kept, than in the capital city 
of the county where he was born. The freedom of that 
city was voted him on this occasion. But of all the 
numerous congratulations which he received, none could 
have affected him with deeper delight than that which 
came from his venerable father. “I thank my God,” 
said this excellent man, “with all the power of a grate¬ 
ful soul, for the mercies He has most graciously be- 

mander-in-Chief, who derives from it so deservedly his title. No man," 
he says, “ever less needed, or less desired, to strip a single leaf from 
the honored wreath of any other hero, with the vain hope of augment¬ 
ing his own, than the immortal Nelson : no man ever more merited the 
whole of that which a generous nation unanimously presented to Sir 
J. Jervis, than the Earl of St. Vincent.” Certainly Earl St. Vincent 
well deserved the reward which he received ; but it Is not detracting 
from his merit to say, that Nelson is as fully entitled to as much fame 
from this action as the Commander-In-Chief; not because the brunt of 
the action fell upon him ; not because he was engaged with all the four 
ships which were taken, and took two of them, it may almost be said, 
with his own hand ; but because the decisive movement which enabled 
him to perform all this, and by which the action became a victory, 
was executed in neglect of orders, upon his own judgment, and at his 
peril. Earl St. Vincent deserved his earldom : but it is not to the 
honor of those by whom titles were distributed in those days, that 
Nelson never obtained the rank of earl for either of those victories 
which he lived to enjoy, though the one was the most complete and 
glorious in the annals of naval history, and the other the most Im¬ 
portant In its consequences of any which was achieved during the 
whole war.— Southey’s Note. 

1. Rank of Rear-Admiral. Promotion from captain to rear-admiral 
was strictly by seniority. Nelson was a captain at twenty-one, and 
reached flag rank before he was thirty-nine, a good fortune not equaled 
by any of his contemporaries. 

2. Order of the Bath. A military order, consisting In Nelson’s time 
of a grand master and thirty-six knights, chosen for distinguished 
service. 


140 


The Life of Nelson 


stowed on me in preserving you. Not only my few 
acquaintances here, but the people in general, met me 
at every corner with such handsome words, that I was 
obliged to retire from the public eye. The height of 
glory to which your professional judgment, united with 
a proper degree of bravery, guarded by Providence, has 
raised you, few sons, my dear child, attain to, and fewer 
fathers live to see. Tears of joy have involuntarily 
trickled down my furrowed cheeks. "Who could stand 
the force of such general congratulation ? The name and 
services of Nelson have sounded throughout this city of 
Bath—from the common ballad-singer to the public 
theatre.” The good old man concluded by telling him, 
that the field of glory, in which he had so long been 
conspicuous, was still open, and by giving him his 
blessing. 

Sir Horatio, who had nov r hoisted his flag as Rear- 
Admiral of the Blue, v T as sent to bring aw r ay the troops 
from Porto Ferrajo: having performed this, he shifted 
his flag to the Theseus . That ship had taken part in 
the Mutiny in England, 1 and being just arrived from 
home, some danger was apprehended from the temper of 

1. Mutiny in England. Nelson took command of the Theseus on 
May 27, 1797. The outbreaks referred to had occurred in April of the 
same year among the crews of ships in the mouth of the Thames, and 
were manifestations of a spirit of discontent widespread in the service. 
On July 8, similar trouble arose in Jervis’s fleet, with the result that 
two sailors were sentenced to be hanged. The execution taking place 
on Sunday morning, one of Jervis's vice-admirals ventured to criticize 
him for thus “profaning the Sabbath.** Nelson, on the other hand, 
supported him warmly. “Had it been Christmas day instead of Sun¬ 
day,” he wrote, “I would have executed them. We know not what 
might have been hatched by a Sunday’s grog.” Nelson’s remarks at 
this time are quoted by ills biographers in proof that “the iron grip 
beneath the velvet glove” was frequently felt in his handling of officers 
and men. Hut his unusual success in matters of discipline should be 
attributed in much larger measure to the prestige of his name, hl 9 
constant attention to the welfare of his crews, and the natural charm 
of his manners and character. 


The Life of Nelson 


141 


the men. This was one reason why Nelson was removed 
to her. He had not been on board many weeks before 
a paper, signed in the name of all the ship’s company, 
was dropped on the quarter-deck, containing these 
words: “Success attend Admiral Nelson! God bless 
Captain Miller! We thank them for the officers they 
have placed over us. We are happy and comfortable; 
and will shed every drop of blood in our veins to sup¬ 
port them;—and the name of the Theseus shall be im¬ 
mortalized as high as the Captain’s.” Wherever Nelson 
commanded, the men soon became attached to him;— 
in ten days’ time he would have restored the most 
mutinous ship in the Navy to order. Whenever an 
officer fails to win the affections of those who are under 
his command, he may be assured that the fault is chiefly 
in himself. 

While Sir Horatio was in the Theseus, he was em¬ 
ployed in the command of the inner squadron at the 
blockade of Cadiz. During this service, the most peril¬ 
ous action occurred in which he was ever engaged. 
Making a night attack upon the Spanish gunboats, his 
barge was attacked by an armed launch, under their 
commander, Don Miguel Tregoyen, carrying twenty-six 
men. Nelson had with him only his ten bargemen, Cap¬ 
tain Fremantle, and his coxswain, John Sykes, an old 
and faithful follower, who twice saved the life of his 
Admiral, by parrying the blows that were aimed at 
him, and, at last, actually interposed his own head to 
receive the blow of a Spanish saber, which he could not 
by any other means avert;—thus dearly was Nelson be¬ 
loved. This was a desperate service—hand to hand with 
swords: and Nelson always considered that his personal 
courage was more conspicuous on this occasion than on 
any other during his whole life. Notwithstanding the 
great disproportion of numbers, eighteen of the enemy 



142 


The Life of Nelson 


were killed, all the rest wounded, and their launch taken. 
Nelson would have asked for a lieutenancy for Sykes, if 
he had served long enough: his manner and conduct, he 
observed, were so entirely above his situation, that Na¬ 
ture certainly intended him for a gentleman: but though 
he recovered from the dangerous wound which he re¬ 
ceived in this act of heroic attachment, he did not live 
to profit by the gratitude and friendship of his com¬ 
mander. 

Twelve days after this rencontre, Nelson sailed at the 
head of an expedition against Teneriffe. 1 A report had 
prevailed a few months before, that the Viceroy of 
Mexico, with the treasure-ships, had put into that island. 
This had led Nelson to meditate the plan of an attack 
upon it, which he communicated to Earl St. Vincent. 
He was perfectly aware of the difficulties of the attempt. 
“I do not,” said he, “reckon myself equal to Blake: 2 
but, if I recollect right, he was more obliged to the 
wind coming off the land than to any exertions of his 
own. The approach by sea to the anchoring place is 
under very high land, passing three valleys; therefore 
the wind is either in from the sea, or squally with calms 
from the mountains:” and he perceived, that if the 
Spanish ships were won the object would still be frus¬ 
trated, if the wind did not come off shore. The land 
force, he thought, would render success certain; and 
there were the troops from Elba, with all necessary 
stores and artillery, already embarked. “But here,” 

1. Teneriffe. The largest of the Canary Islands, northwest of Africa. 
Santa Cruz Is Its chief port. 

2. Equal to Blake. In April, 1G57, Admiral Blake entered the Bay 
of Santa Cruz and destroyed sixteen Spanish plate-ships under the 
guns of the fort. On his approach the wind blew heavily into the 
bay, but later shifted suddenly and carried him safely out. “The 
Spaniards,” says Clarendon in his History, ‘‘comforted themselves with 
the belief that they were devils and not men who had destroyed 
them In such a manner.” 


The Life of Nelson 


143 


said he, “soldiers must be consulted; and I know, from 
experience, they have not the same boldness in undertak¬ 
ing a political measure that we have: we look to the 
benefit of our country, and risk our own fame every day 
to serve her;—a soldier obeys his orders, and no more. ’ ’ 
Nelson’s experience at Corsica justified him in his harsh 
opinion;—he did not live to see the glorious days of 
the British army under Wellington. The army from 
Elba, consisting of 3700 men, would do the business, he 
said, in three days, probably in much less time; and he 
would undertake, with a very small squadron, to per¬ 
form the naval part; for though the shore was not easy 
of access, the transports might run in and land the 
troops in one day. 

The report concerning the Viceroy was unfounded; 
but a homeward-bound Manila ship put into Santa 
Cruz at this time, anti the expedition was determined 
upon. It was not fitted out upon the scale which Nelson 
had proposed. Four ships of the line, three frigates, and 
the Fox cutter, formed the squadron; and he was 
allowed to choose such ships and officers as he thought 
proper. No troops were embarked: the seamen and the 
marines of the squadron being thought sufficient. His 
orders were, to make a vigorous attack; but on no ac¬ 
count to land in person, unless his presende should be 
absolutely necessary. The plan was, that the boats 
should land in the night between the fort on the N. E. 
side of Santa Cruz bay and the town, make themselves 
masters of that fort, and then send a summons to the 
governor. By midnight, the three frigates, having the 
force on board which was intended for this debarka¬ 
tion, approached within three miles of the place; but 
owing to a strong gale of wind in the offing, and a strong 
current against them inshore, they were not able to get 
within a mile of the landing place before daybreak; and 


144 


The Life of Nelson 


then they were seen, and their intention discovered. Trou- 
bridge and Bowen, with Captain Oldfield, of the ma¬ 
rines, went upon this to consult with the Admiral what 
was to be done; and it was resolved that they should 
attempt to get possession of the heights above the fort. 
The frigates accordingly landed their men; and Nelson 
stood in with the line-of-battle ships, meaning to batter 
the fort, for the purpose of distracting the attention of 
the garrison. A calm and contrary current hindered 
1pm from getting within a league 1 of the shore; and 
the heights were by this time so secured, and manned 
with such a force as to be judged impracticable. Thus 
foiled in his plans by circumstances of wind and tide, 
he still considered it a point of honor that some attempt 
should be made. This was on the 22d of July: he 
re-embarked his men that night, got the ships, on the 
24th, to anchor about two miles north of the town, 
and made show as if he intended to attack the heights. 
At six in the evening, signal was made for the 
boats to prepare to proceed on the service, as previously 
ordered. 

When this was done, Nelson addressed a letter to the 
Commander-in-Chief—the last which was ever written 
with his right hand. “I shall not,” said he, “enter on 
the subject, why we are not in possession of Santa Cruz. 
Your partiality will give credit, that all has hitherto 
been done which was possible, but without effect. This 
night I, humble as I am, command the whole, destined 
to land under the batteries of the town: and, tomorrow, 
my head will probably be crowned either with laurel or 
cypress. I have only to recommend Josiah Nisbet to 
you and my country. The Duke of Clarence, should I 
fall, will, I am confident, take a lively interest for my 

1. League. Three nautical miles. A nautical mile is 6080 feet, or 
one-sixtieth of a degree at the equator. 


The Life of Nelson 


145 


son-in-law, on his name being mentioned.” Perfectly 
aware how desperate a service this was likely to prove, 
before he left the Theseus , he called Lieutenant Nisbet, 
who had the watch on deck, into the cabin, that he might 
assist in arranging and burning his mother’s letters. 
Perceiving that the young man was armed, he earnestly 
begged him to remain behind. “ Should we both fall, 
Josiah,” said he, “what would become of your poor 
mother! The care of the Theseus falls to you: stay, 
therefore, and take charge of her Nisbet replied: 
“Sir, the ship must take care of herself; I will go 
with you tonight, if I never go again.” 

He met his captains at supper on board the Seahorse . 
Captain Fremantle, whose wife, whom he had lately mar¬ 
ried in the Mediterranean, presided at table. At eleven 
o’clock, the boats, containing between 600 and 700 men, 
with 180 on board the Fox cutter, and from 70 to 80 
in a boat which had been taken the day before, pro¬ 
ceeded in six divisions toward the town, conducted by 
all the captains of the squadron, except Fremantle and 
Bowen, who attended with Nelson to regulate and lead 
the way to the attack. They were to land on the mole, 
and thence hasten, as fast as possible, into the great 
square; then form, and proceed as should be found 
expedient. They were not discovered till about half¬ 
past one o’clock, when, being within half gun-shot of the 
landing place, Nelson directed the boats to cast off from 
each other, give a huzza and push for the shore. But 
the Spaniards were excellently well prepared: the alarm- 
bells answered the huzza, and a fire of thirty or forty 
pieces of cannon, with musketry from one end of the 
town to the other, opened upon the invaders. Nothing, 
however, could check the intrepidity with which they 
advanced. The night was exceedingly dark; most of 
the boats missed the mole, and went on shore through 


146 


The Life of Nelson 


a raging surf, which stove all to the left of it. The Ad¬ 
miral, Fremantle, Thompson, Bowen, and four or five 
other boats, found the mole: they stormed it instantly, 
and carried it, though it was defended, as they imag¬ 
ined, by four or five hundred men. Its guns, which were 
six-and-twenty pounders, were spiked, but such a heavy 
fire of musketry and grape was kept up from the Citadel, 
and the houses at the head of the mole, that the assail¬ 
ants could not advance, and nearly all of them were 
killed or wounded. 

In the act of stepping out of the boat, Nelson received 
a shot through the right elbow, and fell; but, as he fell, 
he caught the sword, which he had just drawn, in his 
left hand, determined never to part with it while he 
lived, for it had belonged to his uncle, Captain Suckling, 
and he valued it like a relic. Nisbet, who was close to 
him, placed him at the bottom of the boat, and laid his 
hat over the shattered arm, lest the sight of the blood, 
which gushed out in great abundance, should increase his 
faintness. He then examined the wound, and taking 
some silk handkerchiefs from his neck, bound them 
round tight above the lacerated vessels. Had it not 
been for this presence of mind of his son-in-law, Nelson 
must have perished. One of his barge-men, by name 
.Lovel, tore his shirt into shreds, and made a sling with 
them for the broken limb They then collected five 
other seamen, by whose assistance they succeeded, at 
length, in getting the boat afloat; for it had grounded with 
the falling tide. Nisbet took one of the oars, and ordered 
the steersman to go close under the guns of the battery, 
that they might be safe from its tremendous fire. Hear¬ 
ing his voice, Nelson roused himself, and desired to be 
lifted up in the boat, that he might look about him. 
Nisbet raised him up, but nothing could be seen, except 
the firing of the guns on shore, and what could be dis- 


The Life of Nelson 


147 


cerned by their flashes upon the stormy sea. In a few 
minutes, a general shriek was heard from the crew of 
the Fox , which had received a shot under water, and 
went down. Ninety-seven men were lost in her; eighty- 
three were saved, many by Nelson himself, whose exer¬ 
tions on this occasion greatly increased the pain and dan¬ 
ger of his wound. The first ship which the boat could 
reach happened to be the Seahorse: but nothing could 
induce him to go on board, though he was assured, that 
if they attempted to row to another ship, it might be 
at the risk of his life. “I had rather suffer death,” he 
replied, “than alarm Mrs. Fremantle, by letting her 
see me in this state, when I can give her no tidings what¬ 
ever of her husband.” They pushed on for the Theseus. 
When they came alongside, he peremptorily refused all 
assistance in getting aboard, so impatient was he that 
the boat should return, in hopes that it might save a 
few more from the Fox. He desired to have only a 
single rope thrown over the side, which he twisted round 
his left hand, -saying, “Let me alone: I have yet my 
legs left, and one arm. Tell the surgeon to make haste, 
and get his instruments. I know I must lose my right 
arm; so the sooner it is off the better.”* The spirit which 
he displayed, in jumping up the ship’s side, astonished 
everybody. 

Fremantle had been severely wounded in the right 
arm, soon after the Admiral. He was fortunate enough 

* During the peace of Amiens, when Nelson was passing through 
Salisbury, and received there with those acclamations which followed 
him everywhere, he recognized, amid the crowd, a man who had as¬ 
sisted at the amputation, and attended him afterwards. He beckoned 
him up the stairs of the Council House, shook hands with him, and 
made him a present, in remembrance of his services at that time. 
The man took from his bosom a piece of lace, which he had torn from 
the sleeve of the amputated limb, saying he had preserved, and would 
preserve, it to the last moment, in memory of his old commander.— 
Southey’s Note. 


148 


The Life of Nelson 


to find a boat at the beach, and got instantly to his ship. 
Thompson was wounded; Bowen* killed, to the great 
regret of Nelson; as was also one of his own officers, 
Lieutenant Weatherhead, who had followed him from 
the Agamemnon, and whom he greatly and deservedly 
esteemed. Troubridge, meantime, fortunately for his 
party, missed the mole in the darkness, but pushed on 
shore under the batteries, close to the south end of the 
Citadel. Captain Waller, of the Emerald, and two or 
three other boats, landed at the same time. The surf 
was so high, that many others put back. The boats were 
instantly filled with water, and stove against the rocks; 
and most of the ammunition in the men’s pouches was 
wetted. Having collected a few men, they pushed on to 
the great square, hoping there to find the Admiral and 
the rest of the force. The ladders were all lost, so that 
they could make no immediate attempt on the Citadel; 
but they sent a sergeant, with two of the town’s people, 
to summon it: this messenger never returned; and Trou¬ 
bridge having waited about an hour, in painful expecta¬ 
tion of his friends, marched to join Captains Hood and 
Miller, who had effected their landing to the south¬ 
west. They then endeavored to procure some intelli¬ 
gence of the Admiral and the rest of the officers, but 
without success. By daybreak they had gathered to¬ 
gether about eighty marines, eighty pikemen, and one 
hundred and eighty small-arm seamen; all the survivors 

* “Captain Bowen’s gold seals and chain, and sword, were preserved 
in the town house at Teneriffe, i. c., at Santa Cruz, the chief town in 
Teneriffe ; his watch and other valuables bad been made booty of by 
the populace. In 1810, the magistrates of the Island sent these memo¬ 
rials of the dead to his brother, Commissioner Bowen, saying that they 
conceived it would be gratifying to his feelings to receive them, and 
that as the two nations were now united in a cause which did equal 
honor to both, they did not wish to retain a trophy which could remind 
them that they had ever been opposed to each other .”—Naval Chronicle, 
vol. xxiv., p. 393.—t Southey’s Note.] 


The Life of Nelson 


149 


of those who had made good their landing. They ob¬ 
tained some ammunition from the prisoners whom they 
had taken; and marched on, to try what could be done 
at the Citadel without ladders. They found all the 
streets commanded by field-pieces, and several thou¬ 
sand Spaniards, with about a hundred French, under 
arms, approaching by every avenue. Finding himself 
without provisions, the powder wet, and no possibility 
of obtaining either stores or reinforcements from the 
ships, the boats being lost, Troubridge, with great pres¬ 
ence of mind, sent Captain Samuel Hood with a flag 
of truce to the governor, to say he was prepared to burn 
the town, and would instantly set fire to it, if the Span¬ 
iards approached one inch nearer:—This, however, if 
he were compelled to do it, he should do with regret, 
for he had no wish to injure the inhabitants: and he was 
ready to treat upon these terms,—that the British troops 
should re-embark, with all their arms, of every kind, and 
take their own boats, if they were saved, or be provided 
with such others as might be wanting; they, on their 
part, engaging that the squadron should not molest the 
town, nor any of the Canary Islands: all prisoners on 
both sides to be given up. When these terms were pro¬ 
posed, the governor made answer, that the English ought 
to surrender as prisoners of war: but Captain Hood 
replied, he was instructed to say, that if the terms were 
not accepted in five minutes, Captain Troubridge would 
set the town on fire, and attack the Spaniards at the 
point of the bayonet. Satisfied with his success, which 
was indeed sufficiently complete, and respecting, like a 
brave and honorable man, the gallantry of his enemy, 
the Spaniard acceded to the proposal, found boats to re¬ 
embark them, their own having been dashed to pieces in 
landing, and before they parted gave every man a loaf 
of bread and a pint of wine. “And here/’ says Nelson 


150 


The Life of Nelson 


in his journal, “it is right we should notice the noble 
and generous conduct of Don Juan Antonio Gutierrez, 
the Spanish governor. The moment the terms were 
agreed to, he directed our wounded men to be received 
into the hospitals, and all our people to be supplied with 
the best provisions that could be procured; and made it 
known, that the ships were at liberty to send on shore, 
and purchase whatever refreshments they were in want 
of during the time they might be off the island.” A 
youth, by name Don Bernardo Collagon, stripped him¬ 
self of his shirt, to make bandages for one of those 
Englishmen against whom, not ah hour before, he had 
been engaged in battle. Nelson wrote to thank the gov¬ 
ernor for the humanity which he had displayed. Pres¬ 
ents were interchanged between- them. Sir Horatio 
offered to take charge of his despatches for the Spanish 
government; and thus actually became the first messen¬ 
ger to Spain of his own defeat. 

The total loss of the English, in killed, wounded, and 
drowned, amounted to 250. Nelson made no mention of 
his own wound in his official despatches; but in a pri¬ 
vate letter to Lord St. Vincent—the first which he wrote 
with his left hand—he shows himself to have been deeply 
affected by the failure of this enterprise. “I am be¬ 
come,” he said, “a burden to my friends, and useless to 
my country: but by my last letter you will perceive my 
anxiety for the promotion of my son-in-law, Josiah 
Nisbet. When I leave your command, I become dead 
to the world:—‘I go hence, and am no more seen.’ If 
from poor Bowen’s loss 1 you think it proper to oblige 
me, I rest confident you will do it. The boy is under 
obligations to me; but he repaid me, by bringing me 

1. From, poor Bowen’s loss. Nelson’s request, not explicitly stated, 
was that Nisbet should be promoted to the vacancy caused by the death 
of Captain Bowen. 


The Life of Nelson 


151 


from the mole of Santa Cruz. I hope you will be able 
to give me a frigate, to convey the remains of my car¬ 
cass to England.’’—“A left-handed admiral,” he said 
in a subsequent letter, “will never again be considered 
as useful; therefore, the sooner I get to a very humble 
cottage the better; and make room for a sounder man 
to serve the state.” His first letter to Lady Nelson was 
written under the same opinion, hut in a more cheerful 
strain. “It was the chance of war,” said he, “and I 
have great reason to be thankful: and I know it will add 
much to your pleasure to find that Josiah, under God’s 
providence, was principally instrumental in saving my 
life. I shall not be surprised if I am neglected and for¬ 
gotten : probably I shall no longer be considered as use¬ 
ful : however, I shall feel rich if I continue to enjoy your 
affection. I beg neither you nor my father will think 
much of this mishap:—my mind has long been made up 
to such an event.” t 

His son-in-law, according to his wish, was imme¬ 
diately promoted; and honors enough to heal his 
wounded spirit awaited him in England. Letters.were 
addressed to him by the First Lord of the Admiralty, 
and by his steady friend, the Duke of Clarence, to con¬ 
gratulate him on his return, covered as he was with 
glory. He assured the duke, in his reply, that not a 
scrap of that ardor with which he had hitherto served 
his king had been shot away. The freedoms of the cities 
of Bristol and London were conferred on him: he was 
invested with the Order of the Bath; 1 and received a 
pension of £1000 a year. The Memorial which, as a 
matter of form, he was called upon to present on this 
occasion, exhibited an extraordinary catalogue of serv- 

1. Order of the Both. He had been appointed to the order, immedi¬ 
ately after the battle of Cape St. Vincent (see p. 139), but was now 
formally invested by the king. 


152 


The Life of Nelson 


ices performed during the war. It stated, that he had 
been in four actions with the fleets of the enemy, and in 
three actions with boats employed in cutting out of 
harbor, in destroying vessels, and in taking three towns: 
he had served on shore with the army four months, and 
commanded the batteries at the sieges of Bastia and 
Calvi; he had assisted at the capture of seven sail of 
the line, six frigates, four corvettes, and eleven priva¬ 
teers : taken and destroyed nearly fifty sail of merchant 
vessels; and actually been engaged against the enemy 
upwards of one hundred and twenty times; in which 
service he had lost his right eye and right arm, and 
been severely wounded and bruised in his body. 

His sufferings from the lost limb were long and pain¬ 
ful. A nerve had been taken up in one of the ligatures 
at the time of the operation; and the ligature, according 
to the practice of the French surgeons, was of silk, in¬ 
stead of waxed thread: this produced a constant irrita¬ 
tion and discharge; and the ends of the ligature being 
pulled every day, in hopes of bringing it away, occa¬ 
sioned fresh agony. He had scarcely any intermission 
of pain, day or night, for three months after his return 
to England. Lady Nelson, at his earnest request, at¬ 
tended the dressing of his arm, till she had acquired 
sufficient resolution and skill to dress it herself. One 
night, during this state of suffering, after a day of 
constant pain, Nelson retired early to bed, in hope of 
enjoying some respite by means of laudanum. He was 
at that time lodging in Bond Street; and the family 
was soon disturbed by a mob knocking loudly and vio¬ 
lently at the door. The news of Duncan’s victory 1 had 
been made public, and the house was not illuminated. 
But when the mob were told that Admiral Nelson lay 

1 . Duncan's victory. Over the Dutch off Camperdown, October 11 , 
1797 


The Life of Nelson 


153 


there in bed, badly wounded, the foremost of them made 
answer: “You shall hear no more from us tonight;” 
and, in fact, the feeling of respect and sympathy was 
communicated from one to another with such effect, that, 
under the confusion of such a night, the house was not 
molested again. 

About the end of November, after a night of sound 
sleep, he found the arm nearly free from pain: the 
surgeon was immediately sent for, to examine it; and 
the ligature came away with the slightest touch. From 
that time it began to heal. As soon as he thought his 
health established, he sent the following form of thanks¬ 
giving to the minister of St. George’s, Hanover Square: 
“An officer desires to return thanks to Almighty God 
for his perfect recovery from a severe wound, and also 
for the many mercies bestowed on him. ,, 

Not having been in England till now, since he lost his 
eye, he went to receive a year’s pay, as smart money ;* 
but could not obtain payment, because he had neglected 
to bring a certificate from a surgeon, that the sight was 
actually destroyed. A little irritated that this form 
should be insisted upon; because, though the fact was 
not apparent, he thought it was sufficiently notorious, 
he procured a certificate, at the same time, for the loss 
of his arm; saying, they might just as well doubt one as 
the other. This put him in good humor with himself, 
and with the clerk who had offended him. On his return 
to the office, the clerk, finding it was only the annual 
pay of a captain, observed, he thought it had been more. 
“Oh!” replied Nelson, “this is only for an eye. In a 
few days I shall come for an arm; and in a little time 
longer, God knows, most probably for a leg.” Ac¬ 
cordingly, he soon afterwards went; and with perfect 
good humor exhibited the certificate of the loss of his arm. 

1. Smart money. Extra pay granted for wounds .incurred In service. 


CHAPTER V 


x'Telson rejoins Earl St. Vincent in the Vanguard —Sails in pur¬ 
suit of the French to Egypt—Returns to Sicily, and sails again to 
Egypt—Battle of the Nile. 

Early in the year 1798, Sir Horatio Nelson hoisted 
his flag in the Vanguard, and was ordered to rejoin Earl 
St. Vincent. Upon his departure, his father addressed 
him with that affectionate solemnity by which all his 
letters were distinguished. “1 trust in the Lord,” said, 
he, “that He will prosper your going out and your 
coming in. I earnestly desired once more to see you, and 
that wish has been heard. If I should presume to say 
I hope to see you again, the question would readily be 
asked, How old art thou? Vale! vale! Dominie, vale!’ n 
It is said that a gloomy foreboding hung on the spirits 
of Lady Nelson at their parting. This could have arisen 
only from the dread of losing him by the chance of war. 
Any apprehension of losing his affections could hardly 
have existed; for all his correspondence to this time 
shows that he thought himself happy in his marriage; 
and his private character had hitherto been as spotless 
as his public conduct. One of the last things he said 
to her was, that his own ambition was satisfied, but that 
he went to raise her to that rank in which he had long 
wished to see her. 

Immediately on his rejoining the fleet, he was des¬ 
patched to the Mediterranean, with a small squadron, in 
order to ascertain, if possible, the object of the great 
expedition which at that time was fitting out, under 

1. Vale, etc. Farewell, Master, farewell. 

154 


The Life of Nelson 


155 


Bonaparte, at Toulon. The defeat of this armament, 
whatever might be its destination, was deemed by the 
British government an object paramount to every other; 
and Earl St. Vincent was directed, if he thought it neces¬ 
sary, to take his whole force into the Mediterranean, to 
relinquish, for that purpose, the blockade of the Spanish 
fleet, as a thing of inferior moment: but, if he should 
deem a detachment sufficient, “I think it almost unneces¬ 
sary, ” said the First Lord of the Admiralty, in his 
secret instructions, ‘Vo suggest to you the propriety of 
putting it under Sir Horatio Nelson.” It is to the 
honor of Earl St. Vincent, that he had already made the 
same choice. This appointment to a service in which so 
much honor might be acquired gave great offence to the 
senior admirals of the fleet. Sir William Parker, who 
was a very excellent officer, and as gallant a man as any 
in the navy, and Sir John Orde, who on all occasions of 
service had acquitted himself with great honor, each wrote 
to Lord Spencer, complaining that so marked a prefer¬ 
ence should have been given to a junior of the same 
fleet. This resentment is what most men in a like case 
would feel, and if the preference thus given to Nelson 
had not originated in a clear perception that (as his 
friend Collingwood said of him a little while before) his 
spirit was equal to all undertakings, and his resources 
fitted to all occasions, an injustice would have been done 
to them by his appointment. But if the services were 
conducted with undeviating respect to seniority, the 
naval and military character would soon be brought down 
to the dead level of mediocrity. 

The armament at Toulon consisted of thirteen ships of 
the line, seven forty-gun frigates, with twenty-four 
smaller vessels of war, and nearly 200 transports. Mr. 
Udney, our counsel at Leghorn, was the first person who 
procured certain intelligence of the enemy’s design 


156 


The Life of Nelson 


against Malta; and, from his own sagacity, foresaw that 
Egypt must be their after object. Nelson sailed from 
Gibraltar on the 9th of May, with the Vanguard, Orion, 
and Alexander, seventy-fours; the Caroline, Flora, 
Emerald, and Terpsichore, frigates; and the Bonne 
Citoyenne sloop of war, to watch this formidable arma¬ 
ment. On the 19th, when they were in the Gulf of Lyons, 
a gale came on from the N. W. It moderated so much 
on the 20th, as to enable them to get their top-gallant- 
masts and yards aloft. 1 After dark, it again began to 
blow strong: but the ships had been prepared for a gale, 
and therefore Nelson’s mind was easy. Shortly after 
midnight, however, his main topmast went over the side, 
and the mizzen-topmast soon afterwards. The night was 
so tempestuous, that it was impossible for any signal 
either to be seen or heard; and Nelson determined, as 
soon as it should be daybreak, to wear, and scud before 
the gale: but at half-past three the foremast went into 
three pieces, and the bowsprit was found to be sprung 
in three places. 

When day broke, they succeeded in wearing the ship 
with a remnant of the sprit-sail r this was hardly to have 
been expected: the Vanguard was at that time twenty- 
five leagues south of the islands of Hieres, with her head 
lying to the N. E., and if she had not wore, the ship must 
have drifted to Corsica. Captain Ball, in the Alexander, 
took her in tow, to carry her into the Sardinian harbor 
of St. Pietro. Nelson, apprehensive that this attempt 
might endanger both vessels, ordered him to cast off: but 
that excellent officer, with a spirit like his commander’s, 
replied, he was confident he could save the Vanguard, and 

1. Masts and yards aloft. As was customary in violent storms, the 
top-gailant and other upper masts had been unrigged, lowered, and 
lashed to the masts below. 

2. Wearing . . . with the sprit-sail. Turning the ship with the 

wind by means of a small sail spread under the bowsprit. 




The Life of Nelson 


157 


by God’s help he would do it. There had been a previous 
coolness between these great men; but from this time 
Nelson became fully sensible of the extraordinary talents 
of Captain Ball, and a sincere friendship subsisted be¬ 
tween them during the remainder of their lives. “I 
ought not,” said the Admiral, writing to his wife, “I 
ought not to call what has happened to the Vanguard 
by the cold name of accident: I believe firmly it was the 
Almighty’s goodness, to check my consummate vanity. 
I hope it has made me a better officer, as I feel confident 
it has made me a better man. Figure to yourself, on 
Sunday evening, at sunset, a vain man walking in his 
cabin, with a squadron around him, who looked up to 
their chief to lead them to glory, and in whom their chief 
placed the firmest reliance that the proudest ships of 
equal numbers belonging to France would have lowered 
their flags;—figure to yourself, on Monday morning, 
when the sun rose, this proud man, his ship dismasted, 
his fleet dispersed, and himself in such distress, that the 
meanest frigate out of France would have been an un¬ 
welcome guest.” Nelson had, indeed, more reason to 
refuse the cold name of accident to this tempest than 
he was then aware of; for on that very day the French 
fleet sailed from Toulon, and must have passed within 
a few leagues of his little squadron, which was thus pre¬ 
served by the thick weather that came on. 

The British government at this time, with a becom¬ 
ing spirit, gave orders, that any port in the Mediterra¬ 
nean should be considered as hostile, where the governor 
or chief magistrate should refuse to let our ships of war 
procure supplies of provisions, or of any article which 
they might require. 

In these orders the ports of Sardinia were excepted. 
The continental possessions of the King of Sardinia were 
at this time completely at the mercy of the French, and 


158 


The Life of Nelson 


that prince was now discovering, when too late, that the 
terms to which he had consented, for the purpose of 
escaping immediate danger, necessarily involved the loss 
of the dominions which they were intended to preserve. 
The citadel of Turin was now occupied by French 
troops; and his wretched court feared to afford the com¬ 
mon rights of humanity to British ships, lest it should 
give the French occasion to seize on the remainder of 
his dominions:—a measure for which, it was certain, 
they would soon make a pretext, if they did not find one. 
Nelson was informed, that he could not be permitted to 
enter the port of St. Pietro. Regardless of this inter¬ 
dict, which, under his circumstances, it would have been 
an act of suicidal folly to have regarded, he anchored in 
the harbor; and, by the exertions of Sir James Sau- 
marez, Captain Ball, and Captain Berry, the Vanguard 
was refitted in four days; months would have been em¬ 
ployed in refitting her in England. Nelson, with that 
proper sense of merit wherever it was found, which 
proved at once the goodness and greatness of his char¬ 
acter, especially recommended to Earl St. Vincent the 
carpenter of the Alexander , under whose direction the 
ship had been repaired; stating, that he was an old and 
faithful servant of the crown, who had been nearly thirty 
years a warrant carpenter; 1 and begging most earnestly 
that the Commander-in-Chief would recommend him to 
the particular notice of the Board of Admiralty. He did 
not leave the harbor without expressing his sense of the 
treatment which he had received there, in a letter to the 
Viceroy of Sardinia. ‘‘Sir,” it said, “having, by a gale 

1. Warrant carpenter. In the British Navy all officers of lieu¬ 
tenant's rank or higher hold commissions from the Crown and are 
called “commissioned officers” ; subordinate officers, such as boatswains, 
gunners, carpenters, etc., are usually promoted from seamen, are 
Ineligible for commissioned rank, and hold their positions on warrants 
issued by the Admiralty. 


The Life of Nelson 


159 


of wind, sustained some trifling damages, I anchored a 
small part of his Majesty’s fleet under my orders off this 
island, and was surprised to hear, by an officer sent by the 
governor, that admittance was to be refused to the flag of 
his Britannic Majesty into this port. When I reflect, 
that my most gracious sovereign is the oldest, I believe, 
and certainly the most faithful ally which the King of 
Sardinia ever had, I could feel the sorrow which it must 
have been to his Majesty to have given such an order ; 
and also for your excellency, who had to direct its execu¬ 
tion. I cannot but look at the African shore, 1 where the 
followers of Mahomet are performing the part of the 
good Samaritan, which I look for in vain at St. Peter’s, 
where it said the Christian religion is professed.” 

The delay which was thus occasioned was useful to him 
in many respects: it enabled him to complete his supply 
of water, and to receive a reinforcement, which Earl St. 
Vincent, being himself reinforced from England, was 
enabled to send him. It consisted of the best ships of 
his fleet: the Culloden, seventy-four, Captain T. Trou- 
bridge; Goliath, seventy-four, Captain T. Foley; Mino¬ 
taur, seventy-four, Captain T. Louis; Defence, seventy- 
four, Captain John Peyton; Bellerophon, seventy-four, 
Captain H. D. E. Darby; Majestic, seventy-four, Cap¬ 
tain G. B. Westcott; Zealous, seventy-four, Captain S. 
Hood; Swiftsure, seventy-four, Captain B. Hallowell; 
Theseus, seventy-four, Captain R. W. Miller; Audacious, 
seventy-four, Captain Davidge Gould. The Leander, 
fifty, Captain T. B. Thompson, was afterwards added. 
These ships were made ready for the service as soon as 
Earl St. Vincent received advice from England that he 
was to be reinforced. As soon as the reinforcement was 
seen from the masthead of the Admiral’s ship, off Cadiz 

1. African shore. For the friendly relations between Great Britain 
and the Barbary States, see p. 75, note 1. 

6 


160 


The Life of Nelson 


Bay, signal was immediately made to Captain Trou- 
bridge to put to sea; and he was out of sight before the 
ships from home cast anchor in tlie British station. Trou- 
bridge took with him no instructions to Nelson as to the 
course he was to steer, nor any certain account of the 
enemy’s destination: 1 everything was left to his own 
judgment. Unfortunately, the frigates had been sepa¬ 
rated from him in the tempest, and had not been able to 
rejoin: they sought him unsuccessfully in the Bay of 
Naples, where they obtained no tidings of his course : and 
he sailed without them. 

The first news of the enemy’s armament was, that it 
had surprised Malta. Nelson formed a plan for attack¬ 
ing it while at anchor at Gozo : 2 but on the 22d of June 
intelligence reached him that the French had left that 
island on the 16tli, the day after their arrival. It was 
clear that their destination was eastward—he thought for 
Egypt—and for Egypt, therefore, he made all sail. Had 
the frigates been with him he could scarcely have failed 
to gain information of the enemy: for want of them, he 
only spoke three vessels on the way; two came from Alex¬ 
andria, one from the Archipelago; 3 and neither of them 
had seen anything of the French. lie arrived off Alex¬ 
andria on the 28th, and the enemy w T ere not there, nei¬ 
ther was there any account of them; but the governor 
was endeavoring to put the city in a state of defence, hav¬ 
ing received advice from Leghorn, that the French expe¬ 
dition was intended against Egypt, after it had taken 
Malta. Nelson then shaped his course to the northward, 
for Caramania, 4 and steered from thence along the south- 

1. Enemy's destination. This no one in the British fleet knew; it 
was variously surmised to be Sicily, Corfu, Portugal, Ireland, and 
Cartagena. 

2. Cozo. A small island northwest of Malta. See map, p. SI. 

3. Archipelago. The JEgean Sea and Islands. 

4. Caramania. The southern coast of Asia Minor. 


The Life of Nelson 


161 


ern side of Candia, carrying a press of sail, both night 
and day, with a contrary wind. It would have been his 
delight, he said, to have tried Bonaparte on a wind. 1 It 
would have been the delight of Europe, too, and the bless¬ 
ing of the world, if that fleet had been overtaken with its 
general on board But of the myriads and millions of 
human beings who would have been preserved by that 
day’s victory, there is not one to whom such essential 
benefit would have resulted, as to Bonaparte himself. 
It would have spared him his defeat at Acre—his only 
disgrace ; 2 for to have been defeated by Nelson upon the 
seas would not have been disgraceful: it would have 
spared him all his after enormities. Hitherto his career 
had been glorious; the baneful principles of his heart 
had never yet passed his lips; history would have repre¬ 
sented him as a soldier of fortune, who had faithfully 
served the cause in which he engaged; and whose career 
had been distinguished by a series of successes, unex¬ 
ampled in modern times. A romantic obscurity would 
have hung over the expedition to Egypt, and he would 
have escaped the perpetration of those crimes which have 
incarnadined his soul with a deeper dye than that of 
the purple 3 for which he committed them—those acts of 
perfidy, midnight murder, 4 usurpation, and remorseless 
tyranny, which have consigned his name to universal 
execration, now and forever. 

Conceiving that when an officer is not successful in his 
plans, it is absolutely necessary that he should explain 

1. On a wind. Close-hauled, beating against the wind. In the ISth 
century fleets usually fought close-hauled on the same or opposite tacks. 

2. Acre . . his only disgrace. Written earlier than 1813, be¬ 

fore Napoleon had suffered a serious reverse. For his defeat at Acre 
see p. 238, note 2. 

3. Purple. The imperial purple. 

4. Midnight murder. Presumably an allusion to Napoleon’s act in 
seizing and putting to death the Due d'Engliien, a young prince of the 
Bourbon family, March 21, 1804. 






162 


The Life of Nelson 




the motives upon which they were founded, Nelson wrote 
at this time an account and vindication of his conduct 
for having carried the fleet to Egypt. The objection 
which he anticipated was, that he ought not to have made 
so long a voyage without more certain information. 
“My answer,” said he, “is ready—Who was I to get it 
from? The governments of Naples and Sicily either 
knew not, or chose to keep me in ignorance. Was I to 
wait patiently until I heard certain accounts? If Egypt 
were their object, before I could hear of them they would 
have been in India. To do nothing was disgraceful; 
therefore I made use of my understanding. I am before 
your lordships’ judgment; and if, under all circum¬ 
stances, it is decided that I am wrong, I ought, for the 
sake of our country, to be superseded; for at this mo¬ 
ment, when I know the French are not in Alexandria, I 
hold the same opinion as off Cape Passaro—that, under 
all circumstances, I was right in steering for Alexandria: 
and by that opinion I must stand or fall.” Captain Ball, 
to whom he showed this paper, told him, he should recom¬ 
mend a friend never to begin a defence of his conduct 
before he was accused of error: he might give the fullest 
reasons for what he had done, expressed in such terms 
as would evince that he had acted from the strongest 
conviction of being right; and of course he must expect 
that the public would view it in the same light. Captain 
Ball judged rightly of the public, whose first impulses, 
though from want of sufficient information they must 
frequently be erroneous, are generally founded upon just 
feelings. But the public are easily misled, and there are 
always persons ready to mislead them. Nelson had not 
yet attained that fame which compels envy to be silent; 
and when it was known in England that he had returned 
from an unsuccessful pursuit, it w 7 as said that he de¬ 
served impeachment; and Earl St. Vincent was severely 



The Life of Nelson 


163 


censured for having sent so young an officer upon so 
important a service. 

Baffled in his pursuit, he returned to Sicily. The Nea¬ 
politan ministry had determined to give his squadron no 
assistance, being resolved to do nothing which could pos¬ 
sibly endanger their peace with the French Directory; 
by means, however, of Lady Hamilton’s influence at 
court, he procured secret orders to the Sicilian govern¬ 
ors; and, under those orders, obtained everything which 
he wanted at Syracuse :—a timely supply; without which, 
he always said, he could not have recommenced his pur¬ 
suit with any hope of success. “It is an old saying ,’ 9 
said he in his letter, “that the devil’s children have the 
devil’s luck. I cannot to this moment learn, beyond 
vague conjecture, where the French fleet are gone to; 
and having gone a round of six hundred leagues at this 
season of the year, with an expedition 1 incredible, here I 
am, as ignorant of the situation of the enemy as I was 
twenty-seven days ago. Every moment I have to regret 
the frigates having left me; had one-half of them been 
with me, I could not have wanted information. Should 
the French be so strongly secured in port that I cannot 
get at them, I shall immediately shift my flag into some 
other ship, and send the Vanguard to Naples to be re¬ 
fitted ; for hardly any person but myself would have 
continued on service so long in such a wretched state.” 
Vexed, however, and disappointed as he was, Nelson, 
with the true spirit of a hero, was full of hope. “Thanks 
to your exertions,” said he, writing to Sir William and 
Lady Hamilton, “we have victualled and watered; and 
surely, watering at the fountain of Arethusa, 2 we must 
have victory. We shall sail with the first breeze; and 

1. Expedition. Speed. 

2. Fountain of Arethusa. A spring on the small Island of Ort.vgia, 
in the harbor of Syracuse. According to Greek legend, the nymph 


164 


The Life of Nelson 


be assured I will return either crowned with laurel or 
covered with cypress.” Earl St. Vincent he assured, 
that if the French were above watei he would find them 
out:—he still held his opinion that they were bound for 
Egypt: “but,” said he to the First Lord of the Ad¬ 
miralty, “be they bound to the antipodes, your lordship 
may rely that I will not lose a moment in bringing them 
to action.” 1 

On the 25th of July he sailed from Syracuse for the 
Morea. 2 Anxious beyond measure, and irritated that the 
enemy should so long have eluded him, the tediousness of 
the nights made him impatient; and the officer of the 
watch was repeatedly called on to let him know the hour, 
and convince him, who measured time by his own eager¬ 
ness, that it was not yet daybreak. The squadron made 
the Gulf of Coron 3 on the 28th. Troubridge entered the 
port, and returned with intelligence that the French had 
been seen about four weeks before steering to the S. E. 
from Candia. Nelson then determined immediately to 
return to Alexandria, and the British fleet accordingly, 
with every sail set, stood once more for the coast of 
Egypt. On the 1st of August, about ten in the morning, 
they came in sight of Alexandria; the port had been 
vacant and solitary when they saw it last; it was now 

Arethusa, pursued by the river-god Alpheus, fled thither and was 
transformed into the spring. Though taken from Harrison’s Life of 
Nelson and suspected as a forgery in support of Lady Hamilton’s 
claims for services rendered to the fleet in the Mediterranean, the 
letter, with its characteristic antithesis of death and victory, is at least 
a good imitation of Nelson’s epistolary style. 

1. Bringing them to action. Of Nelson's movements in the Nile 
campaign, Mr. David Ilannay writes : “At no time in his life were the 
noble qualities of his nature displayed more entirely free from all 
alloy. lie was an embodied flame of resolution, and as yet showed 
no sign of the vulgar bluster which was to appear later.”— Encyc. 
Britannica. 

2. Morea. The southern peninsula of Oreece. 

3. Oulf of Coron. At the southern extremity of the Morea. 













The Life of Nelson 


165 


crowded with ships, and they perceived with exultation 
that the tri-color flag was flying upon the walls. At four 
in the afternoon, Captain Hood, in the Zealous , made 
the signal for the enemy’s fleet. For many preceding 
days Nelson had hardly taken either sleep or food: he 
now ordered his dinner to be served, while preparations 
were making for battle; and when his officers rose from 
the table, and went to their separate stations, he said 
to them: “Before this time tomorrow, I shall have gained 
a peerage or Westminster Abbey.” 

The French, steering direct for Candia, had made an 
angular passage for Alexandria; whereas Nelson, in pur¬ 
suit of them, made straight for that place, and thus mate¬ 
rially shortened the distance. The comparative small¬ 
ness of his force made it necessary to sail in close order, 
and it covered a less space than it would have done if 
the frigates had been with him: the weather also was 
constantly hazy. These circumstances prevented the 
English from discovering the enemy on the way to 
Egypt, though it appeared, upon examining the journals 
of the French officers taken in the action, that the two 
fleets must actually have crossed on the night of the 22d 
of June. During the return to Syracuse, the chances 
of falling in with them were fewer. 

Why Bonaparte, having effected his landing, should 
not have suffered the fleet to return, has never yet been 
explained. This much is certain, that it was detained by 
his command; though, with his accustomed falsehood, he 
accused Admiral Brueys, after that officer’s death, of hav¬ 
ing lingered on the coast, contrary to orders. The French 
fleet arrived at Alexandria on the 1st of July; and 
Brueys, not being able to enter the port, which time and 
neglect had ruined, moored his ships in Aboukir Bay, 
in a strong and compact line of battle; the headmost 
vessel, according to his own account, being as close as 



'166 


The Life of Nelson 


possible to a shoal on the N. W., and the rest of the fleet 
forming a kind of curve along the line of deep water, so 
as not to be turned by any means in the S. W. By Bona¬ 
parte ’s desire, he had offered a reward of 10,000 livres to 
any pilot of the country who would carry the squadron 
in; but none could be found who would venture to take 
charge of a single vessel drawing more than twenty feet. 
He had, therefore, made the best of his situation, and 
chosen the strongest position which he could possibly 
take in an open road. The commissary of the fleet said, 
they were moored in such a manner as to bid defiance to a 
force more than double their own. This presumption 
could not then be thought unreasonable. Admiral Bar¬ 
rington, when moored in a similar manner off St. Lucia, 
in the year 1778, beat off the Comte d’Estaing in 
three several attacks, though his force was inferior by 
almost one-third to that which assailed it. Here, the ad¬ 
vantage of numbers, both in ships, guns, and men, was in 
favor of the French. They had thirteen ships of the 
line and four frigates, carrying 1196 guns, and 11,230 
men. The English had the same number of ships of the 
line, and one fifty-gun ship, carrying 1012 guns, and 
8068 men. The English ships were all seventy-fours; the 
French had three eighty-gun ships, and one three-decker 
of 120. 

During the whole pursuit, it had been Nelson’s prac¬ 
tice, whenever circumstances would permit, to have his 
captains on board the Vanguard / and explain to them 

1. Captains on 'board the Vanguard. Modern students of naval war¬ 
fare find perhaps the most valuable lesson to be drawn from Nelson’s 
career In his practice, here Illustrated, of carefully “Indoctrinating” 
his subordinates In the plan and principles to be carried out in action. 
Understanding and accepting the plan, they were expected to use full 
discretion In executing It. “We must all exert ourselves to the ut¬ 
most,” he wrote to one of his captains, “and not be nonsensical in 
saying, ‘I have an order for this, that, and the other,’ If the King’s 
service clearly marks what ought to be done.” 



The Life of Nelson 


167 


his own ideas of the different and best modes of attack, 
and such plans as he proposed to execute, on falling in 
with the enemy, whatever their situation might be. There 
is no possible position, if is said, which he did not take 
into calculation. His officers were thus fully acquainted 
with his principles of tactics: and such was his confi¬ 
dence in their abilities, that the only thing determined 
upon, in case they should find the French at anchor, was 
for the ships to form as most convenient for their mutual 
support, and to anchor by the stern. “First gain the 
victory, ’ ’ he said, ‘ ‘ and then make the best use of it you 
can.” The moment he perceived the position of the 
French, that intuitive genius with which Nelson was en¬ 
dowed displayed itself; and it instantly struck him, that 
where there was room for an enemy’s ship to swing, 1 
there was room for one of ours to anchor. The plan 
which he intended to pursue, therefore, was to keep en¬ 
tirely on the outer side of the French line, and station 
his ships, as far as he was able, one on the outer bow, and 
another on the outer quarter, of each of the enemy’s. 
This plan of doubling on the enemy’s ships was projected 
by Lord Hood, when he designed to attack the French 
fleet at their anchorage in Gourjean Road. 2 Lord Hood 
found it impossible to make the attempt; but the thought 
was not lost upon Nelson, who acknowledged himself, on 
this occasion, indebted for it to his old and excellent com- 

1. Room ... to swing. Unless moored by both bow and stern, 
a ship at anchor must have a safe depth to swing in for the length 
of her cable in all directions. 

2. Gourjean Road. For Hood’s plan, see p. 100, and note. Nelson’s 
method of attack here was to concentrate, two ships to one, on the 
>uter side of the French ships nearest him, and thus to weaken them 
oefore the French ships anchored to leeward could come to their 
assistance. The maneuver, described later, by which Captain Foley and 
the four ships following him passed around the head of and thus inside 
the French line (doubling it in another sense) was an advantageous 
modification of the original plan, made possible by tne freedom of 
initiative which Nelson granted his subordinate*. 




168 


The Life of Nelson 


mander. Captain Berry, when he comprehended the 
scope of the design, exclaimed with transport, “If we 
succeed, what will the world say!”—“There is no if in 
the case,” replied the Admiral: “that we shall succeed, 
is certain: who may live to tell the story, is a very dif¬ 
ferent question.” 

As the squadron advanced, they were assailed by a 
shower of shot and shells from the batteries on the island, 
and the enemy opened a steady fire from the starboard 
side of their whole line, within half gun-shot distance, 
full into the bows of our van ships. It was received in 
silence: the men on board every ship were employed aloft 
in furling sails, and below in tending the braces, and 
making ready for anchoring. A miserable sight for the 
French; who, with all their skill, and all their courage, 
and all their advantages of numbers and situation, were 
upon that element on which, when the hour of trial 
comes, a Frenchman has no hope. Admiral Brueys was 
a brave and able man; yet the indelible character of his 
country 1 broke out in one of his letters, wherein he de¬ 
livered it as his private opinion, that the English had 
missed him, because, not being superior in force, they 
did not think it prudent to try their strength with him. 
—The moment was now come in which he was to be un¬ 
deceived. 

A French brig was instructed to decoy the English, by 
maneuvering so as to tempt them toward a shoal lying 
off the island of Bekier; but Nelson either knew the 
danger, or suspected some deceit; and the lure was un- 

1. Character of his country. The fighting quality of the French 
nation was sufficiently displayed on the battlefields of the Napoleonic 
wars. Iler relative weakness on the sea in that period may be attrib¬ 
uted—not, as some writers have said, to the demoralizing influence of 
democracy, which had no similar effect on the army—but rather to the 
fact that control of the sea was less vital for her than for England, 
and her traditional naval policy was to keep the defensive and avoid 
the risk of a decisive action. 


The Life of Nelson 


169 


successful. Captain Foley led the way in the Goliath, 
outsailing the Zealous, which for some minutes disputed 
this post of honor with him. He had long conceived that 
if the enemy were moored in line of battle in with the 
land, the best plan of attack would he to lead between 
them and the shore, because the French guns on that side 
were not likely to be manned, nor even ready for action. 
Intending, therefore, to fix himself on the inner bow of 
the Guerrier, he kept as near the edge of the bank as the 
depth of the water would admit; but his anchor hung , 1 
and having opened his fire, he drifted to the second ship, 
the Conquerant, before it was clear; then anchored by 
the stern, inside of her, and in ten minutes shot away her 
mast. Hood, in the Zealous, perceiving this, took the 
station which the Goliath intended to have occupied, and 
totally disabled the Guerrier in twelve minutes. The 
third ship which doubled the enemy’s van was the Orion, 
Sir J. Saumarez; she passed to windward of the Zealous, 
and opened her larboard guns as long as they bore on the 
Guerrier; then passing inside the Goliath, sunk a frigate 
which annoyed her, hauled round toward the French line, 
and anchoring inside, between the fifth and sixth ships 
from the Guerrier, took her station on the larboard bow 
of the Franklin, and the quarter of the Peuple Sou- 
verain, receiving and returning the fire of both. The 
sun was now nearly down. The Audacious, Captain 
Gould, pouring a heavy fire into the Guerrier and the 
Conquerant, fixed herself on the larboard bow of the 
latter; and when that ship struck, passed on to the 
Peuple Souverain. The Theseus, Captain Miller, fol¬ 
lowed, brought down the Guerrier’s remaining main and 
mizzen masts, then anchored inside of the Spartiate, the 
third in the French line. 

While these advanced ships doubled the French line, 

1. Anchor hung. Became entangled as It was lowered away. 






170 


The Life of Nelson 


the Vanguard was the first that anchored on the outer 
side of the enemy, within half pistol shot of their third 
ship, the Spartiate. Nelson had six colors flying in dif¬ 
ferent parts of his rigging, lest they should be shot 
away;—that they should be struck, no British Admiral 
considers as a possibility. He veered half a cable , 1 and 
instantly opened a tremendous fire; under cover of which 
the other four ships of his division, the Minotaur, Belle- 
rophon, Defence, and Majestic, sailed on ahead of the 
Admiral. In a few minutes, every man stationed at the 
first six guns in the fore part of the Vanguard’s deck 
was, killed or wounded—these guns were three times 
cleared. Captain Louis, in the Minotaur, anchored next 
ahead, and took off the fire of the Aquilon, the fourth in 
the enemy’s line. The Bcllerophon, Captain Darby, 
passed ahead and dropped her stern anchor on the star¬ 
board bow of the Orient, seventh in the line, Brueys’ 
own ship, of one hundred and twenty guns, whose dif¬ 
ference of force was in proportion of more than seven to 
three, and whose weight of ball, from the lower deck 
alone, exceeded that from the whole broadside of the 
Belter option. Captain Peyton, in the Defence, took his 
station ahead of the Minotaur, and engaged the Frank¬ 
lin, the sixth in the line; by which judicious movement 
the British line remained unbroken. The Majestic, Cap¬ 
tain Westcott, got entangled with the main rigging of 
one of the French ships astern of the Orient, and suf¬ 
fered dreadfully from that three-decker’s fire: but she 
swung clear, and closely engaging the Heureux, the 
ninth ship, on the starboard bow, received also the fire of 
the Tonnant, which was the eighth in the line. The other 
four ships of the British squadron, having been detached 
previous to the discovery of the French, were at a con- 

1. Veered half a cable. Slacked away 60 fathoms (360 feet) of the 
cable attached to the anchor. 


The Life of Nelson 171 

siderable distance when the action began. It commenced 
at half after six; about seven, night closed, and there 
was no other light than that of the fire of the contending 
fleets. 

Troubridge, in the Culloden, then foremost of the re¬ 
maining ships, was two leagues astern. He came on 
sounding, 1 as the others had done: as he advanced, the 
increasing darkness increased the difficulty of the navi¬ 
gation ; and suddenly, after having found eleven fathoms 
water, before the lead could be hove again, he was fast 
aground: nor could all his own exertions, joined to those 
of the Leander and the Mutine brig, which came to his 
assistance, get him off in time to bear a part in the action. 
His ship, however, served as a beacon to the Alexander 
and Swift sure, which would else, from the course which 
they were holding, have gone considerably farther on the 
reef, and must inevitably have been lost. These ships 
entered the bay, and took their stations, in the darkness, 
in a manner long spoken of with admiration by all who 
remembered it. Captajn Hallowell, in the Swiftsure, as 
he was bearing down, fell in with what seemed to be a 
strange sail: Nelson had directed his ships to hoist four 
lights horizontally at the mizzen-peak, as soon as it be¬ 
came dark; and this vessel had no such distinction. 
Hallowell, however, with great judgment, ordered his 
men not to fire: if she was an enemy, he said, she was in 
too disabled a state to escape; but, from her sails being 
loose, and the way in which her head was, it was prob¬ 
able she might be an English ship. It was the Bellero- 
phon, overpowered by the huge Orient: her lights had 
gone overboard, nearly 200 of her crew were killed or 
wounded, ad her masts and cables had been shot away; 
and she was drifting out of the line, toward the lee side 
of the bay. Her station, at this important time, was occu- 

1. Came on sounding. Trying the depth of water as he advanced. 



172 


The Life of Nelson 



BRITISH O FRENCH 

14 ships , 1012 guns 13 ships. 1026 guns 

1 brig 4 frigates, 162 guns 










The Life of Nelson 


173 


pied by the Swiftsure, which opened a steady fire on the 
quarter of the Franklin, and the bows of the French 
Admiral. At the same instant, Captain Bell, with the 
Alexander, passed under his stem, and anchored within 
side on his larboard quarter, raking him, and keeping up 
a severe fire of musketry upon his decks. The last ship 
which arrived to complete the destruction of the enemy 
was the Leander. Captain Thompson, finding that noth¬ 
ing could be done that night to get off the Culloden, ad¬ 
vanced with the intention of anchoring athwart-hawse 
of the Orient . The Franklin was so near her ahead, that 
there was not room for him to pass clear of the two; he 
therefore, took his station athwart-hawse of the latter, in 
such a position as to rake both 

The two first ships of the French line had been dis¬ 
masted within a quarter of an hour after the commence¬ 
ment of the action; and the others had in that time suf¬ 
fered so severely, that victory was already certain. The 
third, fourth, and fifth, were taken possession of at half¬ 
past eight. 

Meantime Nelson received a severe wound on the head 
from a piece of landridge shot. 1 Captain Berry caught 
him in his arms as he was falling. The great effusion of 
blood occasioned an apprehension that the wound was 
mortal: Nelson himself thought so: a large flap of the 
skin of the forehead, cut from the bone, had fallen over 
one eye: and the other being blind, he was in total dark¬ 
ness. When he was carried down, the surgeon,—in the 
midst of a scene scarcely to be conceived by those who 
have never seen a cockpit in time of action, and the 
heroism which is displayed amid its horrors,—with a 
natural and pardonable eagerness, quitted the poor fel¬ 
low then under his hands, that he might instantly attend 

1. Landridge shot. Pieces of scrap-iron, bolts, etc., fastened to¬ 
gether as a projectile for damaging sails and rigging. 


174 


The Life of Nelson 


the Admiral. “No!” said Nelson, “I will take my turn 
with my brave fellows.” Nor would he suffer his own 
wound to be examined till every man who had been pre¬ 
viously wounded was properly attended to. Fully be¬ 
lieving that the wound was mortal, and that he was about 
to die, as he had ever desired, in battle and in victory, he 
called the chaplain, and desired him to deliver what he 
supposed to be his dying remembrance to Lady Nelson: 
he then sent for Captain Louis on board from the Mino¬ 
taur , that he might thank him personally for the great 
assistance which he had rendered to the Vanguard; and, 
ever mindful of those who deserved to be his friends, ap¬ 
pointed Captain Hardy from the brig to the command 
of his own ship, Captain Berry having to go home with 
the news of the victory. When the surgeon came in due 
time to examine his wound (for it was in vain to entreat 
him to let it be examined sooner), the most anxious si¬ 
lence prevailed; and the joy of the wounded men, and of 
the whole crew, when they heard that the hurt was 
merely superficial, gave Nelson deeper pleasure, than the 
unexpected assurance that his life was in no danger. 
The surgeon requested, and as far as he could, ordered 
him to remain quiet: but Nelson could not rest. He 
called for his secretary, Mr. Campbell, to write the des¬ 
patches. Campbell had himself been wounded; and was 
so affected at the blind and suffering state of the Ad¬ 
miral, that he was unable to write. The chaplain was 
then sent for; but, before he came, Nelson, with his char¬ 
acteristic eagerness, took the pen, and contrived to trace 
a few words, marking his devout sense of the success 
which had already been obtained. He was now left 
alone; when suddenly a cry was heard on the deck, that 
the Orient was on fire. In the confusion, he found his 
way up, unassisted and unnoticed, and, to the astonish¬ 
ment of every one, appeared on the quarter-deck, where 


The Life of Nelson 


175 


he immediately gave orders that boats should be sent to 
the relief of the enemy. 

It was soon after nine that the fire on board the Orient 
broke out. Brueys was dead: he had received three 
wounds, yet would not. leave his post: a fourth cut him 
almost in two. He desired not to be carried below, but to 
be left to die upon deck. The flames soon mastered his 
ship. Her sides had just been painted; and the oil-jars 
and paint-buckets were lying on the poop. By the pro¬ 
digious light of this conflagration, the situation of the 
two fleets could now be perceived, the colors of both 
being clearly distinguishable. About ten o’clock the ship 
blew up, with a shock which was felt to the very bottom 
of every vessel. 

Many of her officers and men jumped overboard, some 
clinging to the spars and pieces of wreck, with which the 
sea was strewn, others swimming to escape from the de¬ 
struction which they momentarily dreaded. Some were 
picked up by our boats; and some, even in the heat and 
fury of the action, were dragged into the lower ports of 
the nearest British vessel by the British sailors. The 
greater part of her crew, however, stood the danger till 
the last, and continued to fire from the lower deck. This 
tremendous explosion was followed by a silence not less 
awful: the firing immediately ceased on both sides; and 
the first sound which broke the silence was the dash of 
her shattered masts and yards, falling into the water 
from the vast height to which they had been exploded. 
It is upon record, that a battle between two armies was 
once broken off by an earthquake such an event would 
be felt like a miracle; but no incident in war, produced 
by human means, has ever equalled the sublimity of this 
co-instantaneous pause, and all its circumstances. 

1. Battle . . . "broken off by an earthquake. Hannibal’s victory 

at Lake Trasimene, 217 b.c. 


176 


The Life of Nelson 


About seventy of the Orient’s crew were saved by the 
English boats. Among the many hundreds who perished 
were the Commodore, Casa-Bianca, 1 and his son, a brave 
boy, only ten years old. They were seen floating on a 
shattered mast when the ship blew up. She had money 
on board (the plunder of Malta) to the amount of 600,- 
000Z. sterling. The masses of burning wreck, which were 
scattered by the explosion, excited for some moments ap¬ 
prehensions in the English which they had never felt 
from any other danger. Two large pieces fell into the 
main and fore tops of the Swift sure, without injuring 
any person. A port-fire 2 also fell into the main-royal of 
the Alexander: the fire which it occasioned was speedily 
extinguished. Captain Ball had provided, as far as 
human foresight could provide, against any such danger. 
All the shrouds and sails of his ship, not absolutely neces¬ 
sary for its immediate management, were thoroughly 
wetted, and so rolled up, that they were as hard and as 
little inflammable as so many solid cylinders. 

The firing recommenced witli the ships to leeward of 
the center, and continued till about three. At daybreak, 
the Guillaume Tell, and the Gcncrcux, the two rear ships 
of the enemy, were the only French ships of the line 
which had their colors flying; they cut.their cables in the 
forenoon, not having been engaged, and stood out to sea, 
and two frigates with them. The Zealous pursued; but as 
there was no other ship in a condition to support Cap¬ 
tain Hood, he was recalled. It was generally believed by 
the officers, that if Nelson had not been wounded, not 
one of these ships could have escaped: the four certainly 
could not, if the Cullodcn had got into action; and if the 

1. Casa-Bianca. Admiral Brueys’ chlef-of-staff. The bravery of 
his son, the theme of Mrs. Ileman’s well-known poem, Is attested by 
an eye-witness. 

2. Port-fire. A stick of inflammable matter formerly used in firing 
guns. 


The Life of Nelson 


177 


frigates belonging to the squadron bad been present, not 
one of the enemy’s fleet would have left Aboukir Bay. 
These four vessels, however, were all that escaped; and 
the victory was the most complete and glorious in the 
annals of naval history. ‘‘Victory,’’ said Nelson, ‘‘is not 
a name strong enough for such a scene;” he called it a 
conquest. Of thirteen sail of the line, nine were taken, 
and two burnt: of the four frigates, one was sunk, an¬ 
other, the Artcmise, was burnt in a villainous manner by 
her captain, M. Estandlet, who, having fired a broadside 
at the Theseus, struck his colors, then set fire to the ship, 
and escaped with most of his crew to shore. The British 
loss, in killed and wounded, amounted to 895. Westcott 
was the only captain who fell: 3105 of the French, in¬ 
cluding the wounded, were sent on shore by cartel, and 
5225 perished. 

As soon as the conquest was completed, Nelson sent 
orders through the fleet, to return thanksgiving in every 
ship for the victory with which Almighty God had blessed 
his Majesty’s arms. The French at Rosetta, 1 who with 
miserable fear beheld the engagement, were at a loss to 
understand the stillness of the fleet during the perform¬ 
ance of this solemn duty; but it seemed to affect many of 
the prisoners, officers as well as men: and graceless and 
godless as the officers were, 2 some of them remarked, that 
it was no wonder such order was preserved in the British 
navy, when the minds of our men could be impressed with 
such sentiments after so great a victory, and at a mo¬ 
ment of such confusion.—The French at Rosetta, seeing 
their four ships sail out of the bay unmolested, en¬ 
deavored to persuade themselves that they were in pos- 

1. Rosetta. A town near Aboukir Bay on the Rosetta branch of the 
Nile delta. 

2. Godless as the officers were. During the French Revolution, the 
Christian religion was for a time officially abolished, the Goddess of 
Reason set up for worship, and a tenth day substituted for Sunday. 


178 


The Life of Nelson 


session of the place of battle. But it was in vain thus to 
attempt, against their own secret and certain conviction, 
to deceive themselves: and even if they could have suc¬ 
ceeded in this, the bonfires which the Arabs kindled 
along the whole coast, and over the country, for the three 
following nights, would soon have undeceived them. 
Thousands of Arabs and Egyptians lined the shore, and 
covered the house-tops during the action, rejoicing in the 
destruction which had overtaken their invaders. Long 
after the battle, innumerable bodies were seen floating 
about the bay, in spite of all the exertions which were 
made to sink them, as w x ell from fear of pestilence, as 
from the loathing and horror which the sight occasioned. 
Great numbers were cast up upon the Island of Bekier 
(Nelson’s Island, it has since been called), and our 
sailors raised mounds of sand over them. Even after an 
interval of nearly three years Dr. Clarke saw them, and 
assisted in interring heaps of human bodies, which, hav¬ 
ing been thrown up by the sea, where there were no 
jackals to devour them, presented a sight loathsome to 
humanity. The shore, for an extent of four leagues, was 
covered with wreck; and the Arabs found employment 
for many days in burning on the beach the fragments 
which were cast up, for the sake of the iron.* Part of 
the Orient’s main-mast was picked up by the Swiftsure. 
Captain Hallowed ordered his carpenter to make a coffin 
of it; the iron as well as wood was taken from the wreck 
of the same ship; it was finished as well and handsomely 
as the workman’s skill and materials would permit; and 
Hallowed then sent it to the Admiral with the following 
letter,—“Sir, I have taken the liberty of presenting you 

* During his long subsequent cruise off Alexandria, Captain Hallowell 
kept his crew employed and amused in fishing up the small anchors in 
the road, which, with the iron found on the masts, was afterwards sold 
at Rhodes, and the produce applied to purchase vegetables and tobacco 
for the ship’s company.— Southey’s Note. 


The Life of Nelson 


179 


a coffin made from the main-mast of L’Orient, that when 
you have finished your military career in this world, you 
may be buried in one of your trophies. But that that 
period may be far distant, is the earnest wish of your 
sincere friend, Benjamin Hallowell.” An offering so 
strange, and yet so suited to the occasion, was received 
by Nelson in the spirit with which it was sent. As he felt 
it good for him, now that he was at the summit of his 
wishes, to have death before his eyes, he ordered the coffin 
to be placed upright in his cabin. Such a piece of fur¬ 
niture, however, was more suitable to his own feelings 
than to those of his guests and attendants; and an old 
favorite servant entreated him so earnestly to let it be 
removed, that at length he consented to have the coffin 
carried below: but he gave strict orders that it should 
be safely stowed, and reserved for the purpose for which 
its brave and worthy donor had designed it. 

The victory was complete; but Nelson could not pursue 
it as he would have done, for want of means. Had he 
been provided with small craft, nothing could have pre¬ 
vented the destruction of the store-ships and transports 
in the port of Alexandria:—four bomb-vessels would at 
that time have burnt the whole in a few hours. 1 ‘Were I 
to die this moment,” said he in his despatches to the 
Admiralty, “want of frigates would be found stamped 
on my heart I 1 No words of mine can express what I 
have suffered, and am suffering, for want of them.” He 
had also to bear up against, great bodily suffering; the 
blow had so shaken his head, that from its constant and 
violent aching, and the perpetual sickness which accom¬ 
panied the pain, he could scarcely persuade himself that 
the skull was not fractured. Had it not been for Trou- 
bridge, Ball, Hood, and Hallowell, he declared that he 

1. Stamped on my heart. Suggested by the exclamation of Queen 
Mary of England on hearing of the loss of Calais in 1558. 


180 


The Life of Nelson 


should have sunk under the fatigue of refitting the squad¬ 
ron. “All,” he said, “had done well; but these officers 
were his supporters.” But amidst his sufferings and 
exertions, Nelson could yet think of all the consequences 
of his victory; and that no advantage from it might be 
lost, he despatched an officer overland to India, with let¬ 
ters to the Governor of Bombay, informing him of the 
arrival of the French in Egypt, the total destruction of 
their fleet, and the consequent preservation of India from 
any attempt against it on the part of this formidable 
armament. “lie knew that Bombay,” he said, “was 
their first object, if they could get there; but he trusted 
that Almighty God would overthrow in Egypt these pests 
of the human race. Bonaparte had never yet had to con¬ 
tend with an English officer, and he would endeavor to 
make him respect us.” This despatch he sent upon his 
own responsibility, with letters of credit upon the East 
India Company, 1 addressed to the British consuls, vice- 
consuls, and merchants on his route; Nelson saying, 
“that if he had done wrong, he hoped the bills would be 
paid, and he would repay the Company: for, as an Eng¬ 
lishman, he should be proud that it had been in his power 
to put our settlements on their guard.” The informa¬ 
tion which by this means reached India was of great 
importance. Orders had just been received for defensive 
preparations, upon a scale proportionate to the appre¬ 
hended danger; and the extraordinary expenses which 
would otherwise have been incurred were thus prevented. 

Nelson was now at the summit of glory: congratula¬ 
tions, rewards, and honors were showered upon him by 
all the states, and princes, and powers to whom his vic¬ 
tory gave a respite. The first communication of this 

1. East India Company. Founded in the reign of Queen Elizabeth, 
this groat corporation still controlled trade with India and had a large 
share in the administration of the Indian government. Its powers 
were not fully transferred to the Crown until 1858. 


The Life of Nelson 


181 


nature which he received was from the Turkish Sultan: 
who, as soon as the invasion of Egypt was known, had 
called upon ‘ ‘ all true believers to take arms against those 
swinish infidels the French, that they might deliver these 
blessed habitations from their accursed hands; ’ ’ and who 
had ordered his “ Pashas to turn night into day in their 
efforts to take vengeance.” The present of “his Imperial 
Majesty, the powerful, formidable, and most magnificent 
Grand Seignior, ” was a pelisse of sables, with broad 
sleeves, valued at five thousand dollars; and a diamond 
aigrette, valued at eighteen thousand—the most honor¬ 
able badge among the Turks; and in this instance more 
especially honorable, because it was taken from one of 
the royal turbans. “If it were worth a million,’’ said 
Nelson to his wife, “my pleasure would be to see it in 
your possession.” The Sultan also sent, in a spirit 
worthy of imitation, a purse of two thousand sequins, 1 
to be distributed among the wounded. The mother of 
the Sultan sent him a box, set with diamonds, valued at 
one thousand pounds. The Czar Paul, in whom the bet¬ 
ter part of his strangely compounded nature at this time 
predominated, presented him with his portrait, set in 
diamonds, in a gold box, accompanied with a letter of 
congratulation, written by his own hand. The King of 
Sardinia also wrote to him, and sent a gold box, set with 
diamonds. Honors in profusion were awaiting him at 
Naples. In his own country the king granted these hon¬ 
orable augmentations to his armorial ensign : 2 a chief 

1. Sequins. Gold coins, first Issued by the Venetian Republic, worth 
about $2.25 each. 

2. Augmentations to Jus armorial ensign. Additions to his coat-of- 
arms. The chief (upper division of the shield) was undulated 
(bordered by a waving line) and argent (silver) in color. A palm tree 
rose from the sea in the middle, signifying victory; with a disabled 
ship on the right and a battery on the left, reminiscent of the battle 
of the Nile: all in their groper (natural) colors. The crest, above 
the chief, consisted of a golden naval crown, with a plume bearing 


182 


The Life of Nelson 


undulated, argent; thereon waves of the sea; from which 
a palm-tree issuant, between a disabled ship on the dex¬ 
ter, and a ruinous battery on the sinister, all proper; and 
for his crest, on a naval crown, or, the chelengk, or 
plume, presented to him by the Turk, with the motto, 
Palmam qui meruit ferat * And to his supporters, being 
a sailor on the dexter, and a lion on the sinister, were 
given these honorable augmentations: a palnpbranch in 
the sailor’s hand, and another in the paw of the lion, both 
proper; with a tri-colored flag and staff in the lion’s 
mouth. He was created Baron Nelson of the Nile and of 
Burnham Thorpe, with a pension of £2000 for his own 
life, and those of his two immediate successors. When 
the grant was moved in the House of Commons, General 
Walpole expressed an opinion, that a higher degree of 
rank ought to be conferred. Mr. Pitt made answer, that 
he thought it needless to enter into that question. ‘ ‘ Ad¬ 
miral Nelson’s fame,” he said, “would be co-equal with 
the British name: and it would be remembered that he 
had obtained the greatest naval victory on record, when 
no man would think of asking whether he had been cre¬ 
ated a baron, a viscount, or an earl! ” It was strange 
that, in the very act of conferring a title, the minister 
should have excused himself for not having conferred a 
higher one, by representing all titles, on such an occa¬ 
sion, as nugatory and superfluous. True, indeed, wliat- 

the motto, “He gives tlie victory to him who deserves it.” The sup¬ 
porters were figures on the dexter (right) and the sinister (left) sides 
of the shield. 

* It has been erroneously said that the motto was selected by the 
king :—it was fixed on by Lord Grenville, and taken from an ode of 
Jortin’s. The application was singularly fortunate; and the ode itself 
breathes a spirit, in which no man ever more truly sympathized than 
Nelson : 

Concurrant paribus cum ratlbus rates, 

Spectent numina ponti, et 

Palmam qui meruit ferat.— Southey’s "Note. 


The Life of Nelson 


183 


ever title had been bestowed, whether viscount, earl, mar¬ 
quis, duke, or prince, if our laws had so permitted, he 
who received it would have been Nelson still. That name 
he had ennobled beyond all addition of nobility: it was 
the name by which England loved him, France feared 
him, Italy, Egypt, and Turkey celebrated him; and by 
which he will continue to be known while the present 
kingdoms and languages of the world endure, and as 
long as their history after them shall be held in remem¬ 
brance. It depended upon the degree of rank what 
should be the fashion of his coronet, in what page of the 
red book 1 his name was to be inserted, and what prece¬ 
dency should be allowed his lady in the drawing-room 
and at the ball. That Nelson’s honors were affected thus 
far, and no farther, might be conceded to Mr. Pitt and 
his colleagues in administration: but the degree of rank 
which they thought proper to allot was the measure of 
their gratitude,* though not of his services. This Nelson 
felt; and this he expressed, with indignation among his 
friends. 

Whatever may have been the motives of the ministry, 
and whatever the formalities with which they excused 

1. Red took. The Peerage, a book giving genealogical accounts of 
the British nobility. 

* Mr. Windham must be excepted from this well-deserved censure. 
He, whose fate it seems to have been almost always to think and feel 
more generously than those with whom he acted, declared, when he 
contended against his own party for Lord Wellington’s peerage, that 
he always thought Lord Nelson had been inadequately rewarded. The 
case was the more flagrant, because an earldom had so lately been 
granted for the battle of St. Vincent; an action w T hich could never be 
compared with the battle of the Nile, if the very different manner in 
which it was rewarded did not necessarily force a comparison ; espe¬ 
cially when the part which Nelson bore in it was considered.—Lords 
Duncan and St. Vincent had each a pension of £1000 from the Irish 
government. This was not granted to Nelson, in consequence of the 
Union ; though, surely, it would be more becoming to increase the Brit¬ 
ish grant, than to save a thousand a year by the Union in such cases. 
— Southey’s Note. 


184 


The Life of Nelson 


their conduct to themselves, the importance and magni¬ 
tude of the victory 1 were universally acknowledged. A 
grant of £10,000 was voted to Nelson by the East India 
Company; the Turkish Company presented him with a 
piece of plate; the City of London presented a sword to 
him, and to each of his Captains; gold medals were dis¬ 
tributed to the Captains; and the First Lieutenants of 
all the ships were promoted, as had been done after Lord 
Howe’s victory. Nelson was exceedingly anxious that 
the Captain and First Lieutenant of the Culloden should 
not be passed over because of their misfortune. To 
Troubridge himself he said, “Let us rejoice that the 
ship which got on shore was commanded by an officer 
whose character is so thoroughly established.” To the 
Admiralty he stated, that Captain Troubridge’s conduct 
was as fully entitled to praise as that of any one officer 
in the squadron, and as highly deserving of reward. “It 
was Troubridge,” said he, “who equipped the squadron 
so soon at Syracuse: it was Troubridge who exerted 
himself for me after the action: it was Troubridge who 
saved the Culloden, when none that I know in the service 
would have attempted it.” The gold medal, therefore, 
by the king’s express desire, was given to Captain Trou¬ 
bridge, “for his services both before and since, and for 
the great and wonderful exertion which he made at the 
time of the action, in saving and getting off his ship.” 
The private letter from the Admiralty to Nelson in¬ 
formed him, that the First Lieutenants of all the ships 


1. Magnitude of the victor)/. “It was this battle,” says the French 
naval historian, Admiral Jurien de la Gravicre, “which for two years 
delivered up the Mediterranean to the power of England; left the 
French army isolated among a hostile population ; decided the Porte 
in declaring against it; saved India from French enterprise; and 
brought France to the brink of ruin by reviving the smouldering 
flames of war with Austria, and bringing Suvarof and the Austro- 
Russians to the French frontiers.”— Gucrrex Maritimcs, Vol. I, p. 229. 


The Life of Nelson 


185 


engaged were to be promoted. Nelson instantly wrote to 
the Commander-in-Chief. ‘‘I sincerely hope,” said he, 
“this is not intended to exclude the First Lieutenant of 
the Culloden. For Heaven’s sake—for my sake—if it be 
so, get it altered. Our dear friend Troubridge has en¬ 
dured enough. His sufferings were, in every respect, 
more than any of us.” To the Admiralty he wrote in 
terms equally warm. “I hope, and believe, the word 
engaged is not intended to exclude the Culloden, The 
merit of that ship, and her gallant captain, are too well 
known to benefit by anything I could say Her mis¬ 
fortune was great in getting aground, while her more 
fortunate companions were in the full tide of happiness. 
No; I am confident that my good Lord Spencer will 
never add misery to misfortune. Captain Troubridge 
on shore is superior to captains afloat: in the midst of 
his great misfortunes he made those signals which pre¬ 
vented certainly the Alexander and Swiftsure from run¬ 
ning on the shoals. I beg your pardon for writing on a 
subject which, I verily believe, has never entered your 
lordship’s head; but my heart, as it ought to be, is warm 
to my gallant friends.” Thus feelingly alive was Nelson 
to the claims, and interests, and feelings of others. The 
Admiralty replied, that the exception was necessary, as 
the ship had not been in action: but they desired the 
Commander-in-Chief to promote the Lieutenant upon the 
first vacancy which should occur. 

Nelson, in remembrance of an old and uninterrupted 
friendship, appointed Alexander Davison sole prize- 
agent for the captured ships; upon which Davison or¬ 
dered medals to be struck in gold, for the captains; in 
silver, for the lieutenants and warrant officers; in gilt 
metal, for petty officers; and in copper, for the seamen 
and marines. The cost of this act of liberality amounted 
to nearly £2000. It is worthy of record on another ac- 


186 


The Life of Nelson 


count:—for some of the gallant men, who received no 
other honorary badge of their conduct on that memorable 
day, than this copper medal, from a private individual, 
years afterwards, when they died upon a foreign station, 
made it their last request, that the medals might care¬ 
fully be sent home to their respective friends. So sensi¬ 
ble are brave men of honor, in whatever rank they may 
be placed. 

Three of the frigates, whose presence would have been 
so essential a few weeks sooner, joined the squadron on 
the twelfth day after the action. The fourth joined a few 
days after them. Nelson thus received despatches, which 
rendered it necessary for him to return to Naples. Be¬ 
fore he left Egypt he burnt three cf the prizes: they 
could not have been fitted for a passage to Gibraltar in 
less than a month, and that at a great expense, and with 
the loss of the service of at least two sail of the line. “I 
rest assured,” he said to the Admiralty, 4 Ghat they will 
be paid for, and have held out that assurance to the 
squadron. For if an admiral, after a victory, is to look 
after the captured ships, and not to the distressing of 
the enemy, very dearly indeed must the nation pay for 
the prizes. I trust that £60,000 will be deemed a very 
moderate sum for them: and when the services, time, and 
men, with the expense of fitting the three ships for a 
voyage to England, are considered, Government will save 
nearly as much as they are valued at. Paying for 
prizes,” 1 he continued, “is no new idea of mine, and 
would often prove an amazing saving to the state, even 
without taking into calculation what the nation loses 
by the attention of the admirals to the property of the 

1. Paying for prizes. The money arising from the sale of captured 
ships was divided among commander, officers, and crew. Nelson 
requested that a sum equal to the value of the destroyed vessels be 
handed over by the Government. 


The Life of Nelson 


187 


captors, an attention absolutely necessary, as a recom¬ 
pense for the exertions of the officers and men. An ad¬ 
miral may be amply rewarded by his own feelings, and 
by the approbation of his superiors; but what reward 
have the inferior officers and men, but the value of the 
prizes ? If an admiral takes that from them, on any con¬ 
sideration, he cannot expect to be well-supported.” To 
Earl St. Vincent he said, “If he could have been sure 
that Government would have paid a reasonable value for 
them, he would have ordered two of the other prizes to 
be burnt: for they would cost more in refitting, and by 
the loss of ships attending them, than they were worth. ’ ’ 

Having sent the six remaining prizes forward, under 
Sir James Saumarez, Nelson left Captain Hood, in the 
Zealous, off Alexandria, with the Swiftsure, Goliath, 
Alcmene, and Emerald, and stood out to sea himself on 
the seventeenth day after the battle.* 

* “Some French officers, during the blockade of Alexandria, were 
sent off to Captain Hallowell to offer a supply of vegetables, and 
observe, of course, the state of the blockading squadron. They were 
received with all possible civility. In the course of conversation, 
after dinner, one of them remarked that we had made use of unfair 
weapons during the action, by which probably the Orient was burnt; 
and that General Bonaparte had expressed great indignation at it. 
In proof of this assertion he stated that in the late gunboat attacks, 
their camp had twice been set on fire by balls of unextinguishable mat¬ 
ter which were fired from one of the English boats. Captain Hallowell 
instantly ordered the gunner to bring up some of those balls, and asked 
him from whence he had them. To the confusion of the accusers he 
related that they were found on board of the Spartiate , one of the 
ships captured on the 1st of August; as these balls were distinguished 
by particular marks, though in other respects alike, the Captain 
ordered an experiment to be made, in order to ascertain the nature of 
them. The next morning, says Mr. Willyams, I accompanied Mr. Farr, 
the gunner, to the island; the first we tried proved to be a fire-ball, 
but of what materials composed we could not ascertain. As it did not 
explode (which at first we apprehended), we rolled it into the sea, 
where it continued to burn under water; a black pitchy substance 
exuding from it till only an iron skeleton of a shell remained. The 
whole had been carefully crusted over with a substance that gave it 
the appearance of a perfect shell. On setting fire to the fuse of the 


188 


The Life of Nelson 


other, which was differently marked, it burst into many pieces; though 
somewhat alarmed, fortunately none of us were hurt. People account 
differently for the fire that happened on board of the French Admiral; 
but why may it not have arisen from some of these fire-balls left, per¬ 
haps carelessly, on the poop or cabin, where it first broke out? and 
what confirms my opinion on this head is, that several pieces of such 
shells were found sticking in the BcUcroplion, which she most probably 
received from the first fire of L’Orient — Willyams's Voyage in the 
Mediterranean, p. 145.— -Southrit’s ~Sote. 


CHAPTER VI 


Nelson returns to Naples—State of that Court and Kingdom—■ 
General Mack—The French approach Naples—Flight of the Royal 
Family—Successes of the Allies in Italy—Transactions in the Bay of 
Naples—Expulsion of the French from the Neapolitan and Roman 
States—Nelson is made Duke of Bronte—He leaves the Mediterra¬ 
nean and returns to England. 

Nelson’s health had suffered greatly while he was in 
the Agamemnon. “My complaint,” he said, “is as if a 
girth were buckled taut over my breast; and my en¬ 
deavor in the night is to get it loose.” After the battle 
of Cape St. Vincent, he felt a little rest to be so essential 
to his recovery, that he declared he would not continue to 
serve longer than the ensuing summer, unless it should 
be absolutely necessary; for, in his own strong language, 
he had then been four years and nine months without 
one moment’s repose for body or mind. A few months’ 
intermission of labor he had obtained—not of rest, for 
it was purchased with the loss of a limb; and the greater 
part of the time had been a season of constant pain. As 
soon as his shattered frame had sufficiently recovered for 
him to resume his duties, he was called to services of 
greater importance than any on which he had hitherto 
been employed, and they brought with them commensu¬ 
rate fatigue and care. The anxiety which he endured 
during his long pursuit of the enemy was rather changed 
in its direction, than abated, by their defeat: and this 
constant wakefulness of thought, added to the effect of 
his wound, and the exertions from which it was not pos¬ 
sible for one of so ardent and wide-reaching a mind to 
spare himself, nearly proved fatal. On his way back to 

189 


190 


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Italy he was seized with fever. For eighteen hours his 
life was despaired of; and even when the disorder took 
a favorable turn, and he was so far recovered as again 
to appear on deck, he himself thought that his end was 
approaching,—such was the weakness to which the 
fever and cough had reduced him. Writing to Earl St. 
Vincent, on the passage, he said to him, “I never ex¬ 
pect, my dear lord, to see your face again. It may please 
God that this will be the finish to that fever of anxiety 
which I have endured from the middle of June; but be 
that as it pleases Ilis goodness. I am resigned to His 
will.” 

The kindest attentions of the warmest friendship were 
awaiting him at Naples. “Come here,” said Sir William 
Hamilton, “for God’s sake, my dear friend, as soon as 
the service will permit you. A pleasant apartment is 
ready for you in my house, and Emma is looking out for 
the softest pillows, to repose the few wearied limbs you 
have left.” Happy would it have been for Nelson if 
warm and careful friendship had been all that aw T aited 
him there! He himself saw at that time the character 
of the Neapolitan court, as it first struck an Englishman, 
in its true light: and when he was on the way, he de¬ 
clared that he detested the voyage to Naples, and that 
nothing but necessity could have forced him to it. But 
never was any hero, on his return from victory, wel¬ 
comed with more heartfelt joy. Before the battle of 
Aboukir the court of Naples had been trembling for its 
existence. The language which the Directory 1 held 
towards it was well described by Sir William Hamilton, 
as being exactly the language of a highwayman. The 
Neapolitans were told, that Benevento 2 might be added 

1. The Directory. See p. 123, note 2. 

2. Benevento. A city and province near Naples, then under the con¬ 
trol of the Fope. 


The Life of Nelson 


191 


to their dominions, provided they would pay a large 
sum, sufficient to satisfy the Directory; and they were 
warned, that if the proposal were refused, or even if 
there were any delay in accepting it, the French would 
revolutionize all Italy. The joy, therefore, of the court 
at Nelson’s success was in proportion to the dismay from 
which that success relieved them. The Queen was a 
daughter of Maria Theresa, 1 and sister of Marie Antoi¬ 
nette. 2 Had she been the wisest and gentlest of her sex, 
it would not have been possible for her to have regarded 
the French without hatred and horror: and the progress 
of revolutionary opinions, while it perpetually reminded 
her of her sister’s fate, excited no unreasonable appre¬ 
hensions for her own. Her feelings, naturally ardent, 
and little accustomed to restraint, were excited to the 
highest pitch when the news of the victory arrived. Lady 
Hamilton, her constant friend and favorite, who was 
present, says, “It is not possible to describe her trans¬ 
ports : she wept, she kissed her husband, her children, 
walked frantically about the room, burst into tears again, 
and again kissed and embraced every person near her; 
exclaiming, ‘ 0 brave Nelson! 0 God! bless and protect 
our brave deliverer; 0 Nelson! Nelson! what do we not 
owe you! 0 conqueror—savior of Italy! 0 that my 

swoln heart could now tell him personally what we owe 
to him! ’ ” She wrote to the Neapolitan ambassador 
at London upon the occasion in terms which show the 
fulness of her joy, and the height of the hopes which it 
had excited. “I wish I could give wings,” said she, “to 
the bearer of the news, and, at the same time, to our most 
sincere gratitude. The whole of the sea-coast of Italy is 
saved; and this is owing alone to the generous English. 
This battle, or, to speak more correctly, this total defeat, 

1. 1 1 aria Theresa (1717-17S0). Ruler over Austria and Hungary. 

2. Marie Antoinette. Queen of France, wife of Louis XVI. 

7 


192 


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of the regicide squadron, was obtained by the valor of 
this brave Admiral, seconded by a navy which is the 
terror of its enemies. The victory is so complete, that I 
can still scarcely believe it: and if it were not the brave 
English nation, which is accustomed to perform prodi¬ 
gies by sea, I could not persuade myself that it had hap¬ 
pened. It would have moved you to have seen all my 
children, boys and girls, hanging on my neck and crying 
for joy at the happy news.—Recommend the hero to 
his master: he has filled the whole of Italy with admira¬ 
tion of the English. Great hopes were entertained of 
some advantages being gained by his bravery, but no one 
could look for so total a destruction. All here are drunk 
with joy.” 

Such being the feelings of the royal family, it may well 
be supposed with what delight, and with what honors, 
Nelson would be welcomed. Early on the 22d of Septem¬ 
ber the poor, wretched Vanguard, as he called his shat¬ 
tered vessel, appeared in sight of Naples. The Culloden 
and Alexander had preceded her by some days, and given 
notice of her approach. Many hundred boats and barges 
were ready to go forth and meet him, with music and 
streamers, and every demonstration of joy and triumph. 
Sir William and Lady Hamilton led the way in their 
state barge. They had seen Nelson only for a few days 
four years ago, but they then perceived in him that 
heroic spirit which was now so fully and gloriously mani¬ 
fested to the world. Emma Lady Hamilton, who from 
this time so greatly influenced his future life, was a 
woman whose personal accomplishments have seldom 
been equalled, and whose powers of mind were not less 
fascinating than her person. She was passionately at¬ 
tached to tlie Queen: and by her influence the British 
fleet had obtained those supplies at Syracuse, without 
which, Nelson always asserted, the battle of Aboukir 


The Life of Nelson 



could not have been fought. During the long interval 
which passed before any tidings were received, her anx¬ 
iety had been hardly less than that of Nelson himself, 
while pursuing an enemy of whom he could obtain no in¬ 
formation : and when the tidings were brought her by a 
joyful bearer, open-mouthed, its effect was such, that she 
fell like one who had been shot. She and Sir William 
had literally been made ill by their hopes and fears, and 
joy at a catastrophe so far exceeding all that they had 
dared to hope for. Their admiration for the hero neces¬ 
sarily produced a degree of proportionate gratitude and 
affection; and when their barge came alongside the Van¬ 
guard, at the sight of Nelson, Lady Hamilton sprang up 
the ship’s side, and exclaiming, “0 God! is it possible!” 
fell into his arms, more, he says, like one dead than 
alive. He described the meeting as “terribly affecting.” 
These friends had scarcely recovered from their tears, 
when the King, who went out to meet him three leagues 
in the royal barge, came on board and took him by 
the hand, calling him his deliverer and preserver; from 
all the boats around he was saluted with the same 
appellations; the multitude who surrounded him when 
he landed, repeated the same enthusiastic cries; and the 
lazzaroni 1 displayed their joy by holding up birds in 
cages, and giving them their liberty as he passed. 

His birthday, which occurred a week after his arrival, 
was celebrated with one of the most splendid fetes ever 
beheld at Naples. But, notwithstanding the splendor 
with which he was encircled, and the flattering honors 
with which all ranks welcomed him, Nelson was fully sen¬ 
sible of the depravity, as well as weakness, of those by 
whom he was surrounded. “What precious moments,” 

1. Lazzaroni. The beggars and poorer classes of Naples, so called 
from the Hospital of St. Lazarus in Naples, which served as their 
refuge. 


194 


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said lie, “the courts of Naples and Vienna are losing! 
Three months would liberate Italy! but this court is so 
enervated, that the happy moment will be lost. I am 
very unwell; and their miserable conduct is not likely to 
cool my irritable temper. It is a country of fiddlers, 
poets, and scoundrels.” This sense of their ruinous 
weakness he alwavs retained; nor was he ever blind to 
the mingled folly and treachery of the Neapolitan minis¬ 
ters, and the complication of iniquities under which the 
country groaned: but he insensibly, under the influence 
of Lady Hamilton, formed an affection for the court, to 
whose misgovernment the miserable condition of the 
country was so greatly to be imputed. 

By the kindness of her nature, as well as by her attrac¬ 
tions, she had won his heart. Earl St. Vincent, writing 
to her at this time, says, “Ten thousand most grateful 
thanks are due to your ladyship for restoring the health 
of our invaluable friend, on whose life the fate of the 
remaining governments of Europe, whose system has not 
been deranged by these devils, depends. Pray do not let 
your fascinating Neapolitan dames approach too near 
him, for he is made of flesh and blood, and cannot resist 
their temptations. ’ ’ But this was addressed to the very 
person from whom he was in danger. 

The state of Naples may be described in few words. 
The King was one of the Spanish Bourbons . 1 As the 
Ciesars have shown us to what wickedness the moral na¬ 
ture of princes may be perverted, so in this family the 
degradation to which their intellectual nature can be 
reduced has been not less conspicuously evinced. Ferdi¬ 
nand, like the rest of his race, was passionately fond of 

1. The King was one of Vie Spanish Bourbons. Ferdinand IV. son 
of Charles III of Spain and grandson of Louis XIV of France, was 
king of Naples and Sicily from 1759 to 1S0G, and again, after the 
downfall of Napoleon, until his death in 1825. During Napoleon’s 
ascendancy Ferdinand continued to rule in Sicily. 


The Life of Nelson 


195 


field-sports,* and cared for nothing else. Ilis Queen had 
all the vices of the house of Austria, with little to miti¬ 
gate, and nothing to ennoble them:—provided she could 
have her pleasures, and the King his sports, they cared 
net in what manner the revenue was ^raised or admin¬ 
istered. Of course a system of favoritism existed at 
court, and the vilest and most impudent corruption pre¬ 
vailed in every department of state, and in every branch 
of administration, from the liighest to the lowest. It is 
only the institutions of Christianity, and the vicinity of 
better-regulated states, which prevent kingdoms, under 
such circumstances of misrule, from sinking into a bar¬ 
barism like that of Turkey. A sense of better things was 


* Sir William Hamilton’s letters give the history of one of this 
sovereign's campaigns against the wolves and boars. “Our first chase 
has not succeeded; the king would direct how we should beat the 
wood, and began at the wrong end, by which the wolves and boars 
escaped. The king’s face is very long at this moment, but I dare say 
tomorrow’s good sport will shorten it again.”—“No sport again ! He 
has no other comfort today, than having killed a wild cat, and his face 
is a yard long. However, his Majesty has vowed vengeance on the 
boars tomorrow, and will go according to his own fancy ; and I dare 
say there will be a terrible slaughter.”—“Today has been so thoroughly 
bad that we have not been able to stir out, and the King, of course, is 
in bad humor.”—“The king has killed twenty-one boars today, and Is 
quite happy.”—“We have had a miserable cold day, but good sport. 
I killed two boars and a doe ; the king nineteen boars, two does, and 
a porcupine. He is happy beyond expression.”—“Only think of his not 
being satisfied with killing more than thirty yesterday! He said, if 
the wind had favored him, he should have killed sixty at least.”— 
“The King has killed eighty-one animals of one sort or other today, and 
amongst them a wolf and some stags. He fell asleep in the coach ; 
and, waking, told me he had been dreaming of shooting. One would 
have thought he had shed blood enough.”—“It is a long-faced day with 
the King. We went far ; the weather was bad ; and after all, met with 
little or no game. Yesterday, when we brought home all we killed, it 
filled the house completely, and today they are obliged to whitewash 
the walls to take away the blood. There were more than four hundred 
boars, deer, stags, and all. Tomorrow we are to have another slaughter ; 
and not a word of reason or common-sense do I meet with the whole 
day, till I retire to my volumes of the old Gentleman’s Magazine, which 
just keeps my mind from starving.”— Southey’s Note, 



196 


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kept alive in some of the Neapolitans by literature, and 
by their intercourse with happier countries. These per¬ 
sons naturally looked to France, at the commencement 
of the revolution; and, during all the horrors of that 
revolution, still cherished a hope, that by the aid of 
France, they might be enabled to establish a new order of 
things in Naples. They were grievously mistaken in 
supposing that the principles of liberty would ever be 
supported by France, but they were not mistaken in be¬ 
lieving that no government could be worse than their 
own; and, therefore, they considered any change as de¬ 
sirable. In this opinion men of the most different char¬ 
acters agreed. Many of the nobles, who were not in 
favor, wished for a revolution, that they might obtain 
the ascendancy to which they thought themselves en¬ 
titled : men of desperate fortunes desired it, in the hope 
of enriching themselves; knaves and intriguers sold 
themselves to the French, to promote it; and a few en¬ 
lightened men, and true lovers of their country, joined ' 
in the same cause, from the purest and noblest motives. 
All these were confounded under the common name of 
Jacobins; and the Jacobins of the Continental kingdoms 
were regarded by the English with more hatred than 
they deserved. They were classed with Philippe Egalite, 
Marat, and Hebert j 1 —whereas they deserved rather to be 
ranked, if not with Locke, and Sydney, and Russell, at 
least with Argyle and Monmouth , 2 and those who, having 

1. Egalit6, Marat, and Hubert. These were among the more radical 
French republicans. Philippe Egalite, though a Bourbon prince, voted 
for the execution of Louis XVI. Ills son Louis rhilippe was king of 
France from 1830 to 1848. 

2. Locke and Sydney, and Russell, etc. The English philosopher 
John Locke (1632-1704) accepted the principle that the authority of 
kings rests on the consent of the people, and that rebellion against 
a tyrant is justified. William Sydney and Algernon Russell were 
Englishmen of high character and ideals, beheaded for alleged com¬ 
plicity in the Rye-llouse Plot (1683) against Charles II. The Earl 



The Life of Nelson 


197 


the same object as the prime movers of our own revolu¬ 
tion, failed in their premature, but not unworthy 
attempt. 

No circumstances could be more unfavorable to the 
best interests of Europe, than those which placed Eng¬ 
land in strict alliance with the superannuated 1 and abom¬ 
inable governments of the Continent. The subjects of 
those governments who wished for freedom thus became 
enemies to England, and dupes and agents of France. 
They looked to their own grinding grievances, and did 
not see the danger with which the liberties of the world 
were threatened: England, on the other hand, saw the 
danger in its true magnitude, but was blind to these 
grievances, and found herself compelled to support sys¬ 
tems which had formerly been equally the object of her 
abhorrence and her contempt. This was the state of 
Nelson’s mind: he knew that there could be no peace for 
Europe till the pride of France was humbled, and her 
strength broken; and he regarded all those who were 
the friends of France as traitors to the common cause, 
as well as to their own individual sovereigns. There are 
situations in which the most opposite and hostile parties 
may mean equally well, and yet act equally wrong. The 
court of Naples, unconscious of committing any crime 
by continuing the system of misrule to which they had 
succeeded, conceived that, in maintaining things as they 
were, they were maintaining their own rights, and pre¬ 
serving the people from such horrors as had been perpe¬ 
trated in France. The Neapolitan revolutionists thought 
that, without a total change of system, any relief from 

of Argyle and tlie Duke of Monmouth, the latter an illegitimate son 
of Charles II, were Whig leaders who failed in an insurrection against 
James II (1085). 

1. Superannuated. The revolutions of 1640 and 1688 gave to Eng¬ 
land political reforms that did not reach the Continent till after the 
French Revolution. 


198 


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the present evils was impossible, and they believed them¬ 
selves justified in bringing about that change by any 
means. Both parties knew that it was the fixed intention 
of the French to revolutionize Naples. The revolution¬ 
ists supposed that it was for the purpose of establishing 
a free government: the court, and all disinterested per¬ 
sons, were perfectly aware that the enemy had no other 
object than conquest and plunder. 

The battle of the Nile shook the power of France. Her 
most successful general, and her finest army, were blocked 
up in Egypt—hopeless, as it appeared, of return; and the 
government was in the hands of men without talents, 
without character, and divided among themselves. Aus¬ 
tria, whom Bonaparte had terrified into a peace, at a 
time when constancy on her part would probably have 
led to his destruction, took advantage of the crisis to 
renew the war. Russia, also was preparing to enter the 
field with unbroken forces; led by a general 1 whose extra¬ 
ordinary military genius would have entitled him to a 
high and honorable rank in history, if it had not been 
sullied by all the ferocity of a barbarian. Naples, seeing 
its destruction at hand, and thinking that the only means 
of averting it was by meeting the danger, after long vacil¬ 
lations, which were produced by the fears, and weakness, 
and treachery of its council, agreed at last to join this 
new coalition, with a numerical force of 80,000 men. 
Nelson told the King, in plain terms, that he had his 
choice, either to advance, trusting to God for His bless¬ 
ing on a just cause, and prepared to die sword in hand— 
or to remain quiet, and be kicked out of his kingdom:— 
one of these things must happen. The King made answer, 
he would go on and trust in God and Nelson : and Nelson, 

1. A general. The Russian field-marshal, Alexander Suvarof (1729- 
1800), remarkable for his victories in Turkey and Poland. His conduct 
of war was marked by unusual cruelty. 


The Life of Nelson 


199 


who would else have returned to Egypt, for the purpose 
of destroying the French shipping in Alexandria, gave 
up his intention, at the desire of the Neapolitan court, 
and resolved to remain on that station, in the hope that 
he might be useful to the movements of the army. He 
suspected also, with reason, that the continuance of his 
fleet was so earnestly requested, because the royal family 
thought their persons would be safer, in case of any 
mishap, under the British flag, than under their own. 

His first object was the recovery of Malta—an island 
which the King of Naples pretended to claim. The Mal¬ 
tese, whom the villainous Knights of their order 1 had 
betrayed to France, had taken up arms against their rapa¬ 
cious invaders, with a spirit and unanimity worthy the 
highest praise. They blockaded the French garrison by 
land, and a small squadron, under Captain Ball, began to 
blockade them by sea, on the 12th of October. Twelve 
days afterwards Nelson arrived. 11 It is as I suspected, ” 
he says: “the ministers at Naples know nothing of the 
situation of the island. Not a house or bastion of the 
town is in possession of the islanders; and the Marquis de 
Niza tells us, they want arms, victuals, and support. He 
does not know that any Neapolitan officers are in the 
island; perhaps, although I have their names, none are 
arrived; and it is very certain, by the marquis ’ account, 
that no supplies have been sent by the governors of Syra¬ 
cuse or Messina.” The little island of Gozo, dependent 
upon Malta, which had also been seized and garrisoned by 
the French, capitulated soon after his arrival, and was 
taken possession of by the British, in the name of his 
Sicilian Majesty—a power who had no better claim to it 

1. Knights of their order. The Order of the Knights of Malta, or 
Hospitalers of St. John of Jerusalem, was founded during the first 
crusade (about 1099) and received Malta from Charles V in 1530. 
Napoleon secured the surrender of the island by intrigue with French 
members of the order. See p. 160. 



200 


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than France. Having seen this effected, and reinforced 
Captain Ball, he left that able officer to perform a most 
arduous and important part, and returned himself to co¬ 
operate with the intended movements of the Neapolitans. 

General Mack 1 was at the head of the Neapolitan 
troops:—all that is now doubtful concerning this man 
is whether he was a coward or a traitor. At that time 
he was assiduously extolled as a most consummate com¬ 
mander, to whom Europe might look for deliverance : and 
when he was introduced by the King and Queen to the 
British Admiral, the Queen said to him, “Be to us by 
land, General, what my hero Nelson has been by sea. ” 
Mack, on his part, did not fail to praise the force which 
he was appointed to command. “It was,” he said, “the 
finest army in Europe.” Nelson agreed with him, that 
there could not be finer men: but when the General, at 
a review, so directed the operations of a mock fight, that, 
by an unhappy blunder, his own troops were surrounded 
instead of those of the enemy, he turned to his friends 
and exclaimed, with bitterness, that the fellow did not 
understand his business. Another circumstance, not less 
characteristic, confirmed Nelson in his judgment. “Gen¬ 
eral Mack,” said he, in one of his letters, “cannot move 
without five carriages! I have formed my opinion. I 
heartily pray I may be mistaken.” 

While Mack, at the head of 32,000 men, marched into 
the Roman state, 5000 Neapolitans were embarked on 
board the British and Portuguese squadron, to take pos¬ 
session of Leghorn. This was effected without opposi¬ 
tion ; and the Grand Duke of Tuscany, whose neutrality 

1. General Mack. The Austrian field-marshal, Karl Mack von 
Leiberich (1752-1822). He was captured in the 1798 campaign, after¬ 
ward escaped, and surrendered an Austrian army to Napoleon at Ulm 
(1805). His failure in Italy is by modern authorities attributed 
rather to the character of his troops than to his own inability or 
treachery. 


The Life of Nelson 


201 


had been so outrageously violated by the French, was 
better satisfied with the measure than some of the Neapoli¬ 
tans themselves. Naselli, their General, refused to seize 
the French vessels at Leghorn, because he and the Duke 
di Sangro, who was ambassador at the Tuscan court, 
maintained that the King of Naples was not at war with 
France. “What!” said Nelson, “has not the King re¬ 
ceived, as a conquest made by him, the republican flag 
taken at Gozo? Is not his own flag flying there, and at 
Malta, net only by his permission, but by his order ? Is 
rot his flag shot at every day by the French, and their 
shot returned from batteries which bear that flag ? Are 
not two frigates and a corvette placed under my orders 
ready to figlit the French, meet them where they may ? 
Has net the King sent publicly from Naples guns, mor¬ 
tal's, etc., with officers and artillery, against the French 
in Malta ? If these acts are not tantamount to any writ¬ 
ten paper, I give up all knowledge of what is war.” 
This reasoning was of less avail than argument addressed 
to the General’s fears. Nelson told him, that if he per¬ 
mitted the many hundred French who were in the mole 
to remain neutral, till they had a fair opportunity of 
being active, they had one sure resource, if all other 
schemes failed, which was, to set one vessel on fire, the 
mole would be destroyed, probably the town also; and the 
port ruined for twenty years. This representation made 
Naselli agree to the half measure of laying an embargo 
on the vessels. Among them were a great number of 
French privateers, some of which were of such force as 
to threaten the greatest mischief to our commerce, and 
about seventy sail of vessels belonging to the Ligurian 
Republic, as Genoa was now called, laden with corn, 
and ready to sail for Genoa and France; where their 
arrival would have expedited the entrance of more 
French troops into Italy. “The General,” said NelsOn, 


202 


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“saw, I believe, the consequence of permitting these ves¬ 
sels to depart in the same light as myself: but there is 
this difference between us—he prudently, and certainly 
safely, waits the orders of his court, taking no responsi¬ 
bility upon himself; I act from the circumstances of the 
moment, as I feel may be the most advantageous for the 
cause which I serve, taking all responsibility on myself.” 
It was in vain to hope for anything vigorous or manly 
from such men as Nelson was compelled to act with. The 
crews of the French ships and their allies were ordered 
to depart in two days. Four days elapsed, and nobody 
obeyed the order; nor, in spite of the representations 
of the British Minister, Mr. AVyndham, were any means 
taken to enforce it:—the true Neapolitan shuffle, as Nel¬ 
son called it, took place on all occasions. After an ab¬ 
sence of ten days, he returned to Naples: and receiving 
intelligence there, from Mr. Wvndham, that the priva¬ 
teers were at last to be disarmed, the corn landed, and 
the crews sent away, he expressed his satisfaction at the 
news in characteristic language, saying, “So far I am 
content. The enemy will be distressed; and, thank God, 
I shall get no money. The world, I know, think that 
money is our God; and now they will be undeceived, as 
far as relates to us. Down, down with the French! is 
my constant prayer. ’ ’ 

Odes, sonnets, and congratulatory poems, of every de¬ 
scription, were poured in upon Nelson, on his arrival at 
Naples. An Irish Franciscan, who was one of the poets, 
not being content with panegyric, upon this occasion 
ventured upon a flight of prophecy, and predicted that 
Lord Nelson would take Rome with his ships. His lord- 
ship reminded Father M’Cormick that ships could not 
ascend the Tiber: but the father, who had probably for¬ 
gotten this circumstance, met the objection with a bold 
front, and declared he saw that it would come to pass not- 


The Life of Nelson 


203 


withstanding. Rejoicings of this kind were of short dura¬ 
tion. The King of Naples was with the army which had 
entered Rome; hut the castle of St. Angelo was held by 
the French, and 13,000 French were strongly posted in 
the Roman states at Castellana. Mack had marched 
against them with 20,000 men. Nelson saw that the event 
was doubtful;—or rather, that there could be very little 
hope of the result. But the immediate fate of Naples, 
as he well knew, hung upon the issue. “If Mack is de¬ 
feated, ’ ’ said he, ‘ ‘ in fourteen days this country is lost; 
for the Emperor 1 has not yet moved his army, and Naples 
has not the power of resisting the enemy. It was not a 
case for choice, but of necessity, which induced the King 
to march out of his kingdom, and not wait till the French 
had collected a force sufficient to drive him out of it in a 
week. ’ ’ He had no reliance upon the Neapolitan officers; 
who, as he described them, seemed frightened at a drawn 
sword or a loaded gun; and he was perfectly aware of the 
consequences which the sluggish movements and deceitful 
policy of the Austrians were likely to bring down upon 
themselves, and all their Continental allies. “A delayed 
war, on the part of the Emperor,” said he, writing to the 
British Minister at Vienna, “will be destructive to this 
monarchy of Naples; and, of course, to the newly-ac¬ 
quired dominions of the Emperor in Italy. Had the war 
commenced in September or October, all Italy would, at 
this moment, have been liberated. This month is worse 
than the last: the next will render the contest doubtful: 
and, in six months, when the Neapolitan Republic will be 
organized, armed, and with its numerous ‘resources called 
forth, the Emperor will not only be defeated in Italy, but 
will totter on his throne at Vienna. Down, down with 
the French! ought to be written in the council-room of 
every country in the world: and may Almighty God give 
1. Emperor. Francis II of Austria. 


204 


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right thoughts to every sovereign, is my constant 
prayer!” His perfect foresight of the immediate event 
was clearly shown in this letter, when he desired the am¬ 
bassador to assure the Empress (who was a daughter 
of the house of Naples) that, notwithstanding the coun¬ 
cils which had shaken the throne of her father and 
mother, he would remain there, ready to save their per¬ 
sons, and her brothers and sisters; and that he had also 
left ships at Leghorn, to save the lives of the grand duke 
and her sister: “For all,” said he, “must be a republic, 
if the Emperor does not act with expedition and vigor.” 

His fears were soon verified. “The Neapolitan offi¬ 
cers,” said Nelson, “did not lose much honor, for, God 
knows, they had not much to lose;—but they lost all they 
had.” General St. Philip commanded the right wing, 
of 19,000 men. He fell in with 3,000 of the enemy; 
and, as soon as he came near enough, deserted to them. 
One of his men had virtue enough to level a musket at 
him, and shot him through the arm; but the wound was 
not sufficient to prevent him from joining with the 
French in pursuit of his own countrymen. Cannon, 
tents, baggage, and military chest were all forsaken by 
the runaways, though they lost only forty men; for the 
French, having put them to flight, and got possession of 
everything, did not pursue an army of more than three 
times their own number. The main body of the Neapoli¬ 
tans, under Mack, did not behave better. The King re¬ 
turned to Naples; where every day brought with it the 
tidings of some new disgrace from the army, and the 
discovery of some new treachery at home; till four days 
after his return, the General sent him advice, that there 
was no prospect of stopping the progress of the enemy, 
and that the royal family must look to their own personal 
safety. The state of the public mind at Naples was such, 
at this time, that neither the British Minister nor the 


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205 


British Admiral thought it prudent to appear at court. 
Their motions were watched; and the revolutionists had 
even formed a plan for seizing and detaining them as 
hostages, to prevent any attack on the city after the 
French should have taken possesion of it. A letter, 
which Nelson addressed at this time to the First Lord 
of the Admiralty, shows in what manner he contemplated 
the possible issue of the storm. It was in these words:— 
“My dear Lord,—There is an old saying, that when 
things are at the worst they must mend:—now the mind 
of man cannot fancy things worse than they are here. 
But, thank God! my health is better, my mind never 
firmer, and my heart in the right trim to comfort, re¬ 
lieve, and protect those whom it is my duty to afford 
assistance to. Pray, my lord, assure our gracious sov¬ 
ereign that, while I live, I will support his glory: and 
that, if I fall, it shall he in a manner worthy of your 
lordship’s faithful and obliged Nelson. I must not write 
mere. Every word may be a text for a long letter. ’ ’ 
Meantime Lady Hamilton arranged everything for the 
removal of the royal family. This was conducted, on her 
part, with the greatest address, and without suspicion, be¬ 
cause she had been in habits of constant correspondence 
with the Queen. It was known that the removal could not 
be effected without danger; for the mob, and especially 
the lazzaroni, were attached to the King: and as, at this 
time, they felt a natural presumption in their own num¬ 
bers and strength, they insisted that he should not leave 
Naples. Several persons fell victims to their fury: among 
others was a messenger from Vienna, whose body was 
dragged under the windows of the palace in the King’s 
sight. The King and Queen spoke to the mob, and paci¬ 
fied them; but it would not have been safe, while they 
were in this agitated state, to have embarked the effects 
of the royal family openly. Lady Hamilton, like a 


206 


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heroine of modern romance, explored, with no little 
danger, a subterraneous passage, leading from the palace 
to the seaside: through this passage the royal treasures, 
the choicest pieces of painting and sculpture, and other 
property, to the amount of two millions and a half, were 
conveyed to the shore, and stowed safely on board the 
English ships. On the night of the 21st, at half-past 
eight, Nelson landed, brought out the whole royal family, 
embarked them in three barges, and carried them safely, 
through a tremendous sea, to the Vanguard. Notice was 
then immediately given to the British merchants, that 
they would be received on board any ship in the squad¬ 
ron. Their property had previously been embarked in 
transports. Two days were passed in the Bay, for the 
purpose of taking such persons on board as required an 
asylum; and, on the night of the 23d, the fleet sailed. The 
next day a more violent storm arose than Nelson had 
ever before encountered. On the 25th, the youngest of 
the princes was taken ill, and died in Lady Hamilton’s 
arms. During this whole trying season, Lady Hamilton 
waited upon the royal family with the zeal of the most 
devoted servant, at a time when, except one man, no 
person belonging to the court assisted them. 

On the morning of the 26th, the royal family were 
landed at Palermo. It was soon seen that their flight had 
not been premature. Prince Pignatelli, who had been left 
as vicar-general and viceroy, with orders to defend the 
kingdom to the last rock in Calabria, 1 sent plenipotentia¬ 
ries to the French camp before Capua; and they, for the 
sake of saving the capital, signed an armistice, by which 
the greater part of the kingdom was given up to the 
enemy: a cession that necessarily led to the loss of the 
whole. This was on the 10th of January. The French 
advanced toward Naples. Mack, under pretext of taking 

1. Calabria. A district at the southern extremity or “toe” of Italy. 


The Life of Nelson 


207 


shelter from the fury of the lazzaroni, fled to the French 
General Championet, who sent him under an escort to 
Milan: but as France hoped for further services from this 
wretched traitor, it was thought prudent to treat him ap¬ 
parently as a prisoner of war. The Neapolitan army 
disappeared in a few days: of the men, some, following 
their officers, deserted to the enemy: the greater part took 
the opportunity of disbanding themselves. The lazzaroni 
proved true to their country: they attacked the enemy’s 
advanced posts, drove them in, and were not dispirited 
by the murderous defeat which they suffered from the 
main body. Flying into the city, they continued to de¬ 
fend it, even after the French had planted their artillery 
in the principal streets. Had there been a man of genius 
to have directed their enthusiasm, or had there been any 
correspondent feelings in the higher ranks, Naples might 
have set a glorious example to Europe, and have proved 
the grave of every Frenchman who entered it. But the 
vices of the government had extinguished all other pa¬ 
triotism than that of a rabble, who had no other virtue 
than that sort of loyalty which was like the fidelity of a 
dog to its master. This fidelity the French and their 
adherents counteracted by another kind of devotion: the 
priests affirmed that St. Januarius 1 had declared in favor 
of the revolution. The miracle of his blood was per¬ 
formed with the usual success, and more than usual 
effect, on the very evening when, after two days of des¬ 
perate fighting, the French obtained possession of Na¬ 
ples. A French guard of honor was stationed at his 
church. Championet gave, ‘ ‘ Respect for St, Januarius! ’ ’ 
as the word for the army; and the next day Te Deum was 

1. St. Januarius. Bishop of Benevento, beheaded by Diocletian 
about 300 a.d. Relics asserted to be the head and blood of the saint 
are preserved in the cathedral at Naples. The blood is said to have 
the miraculous power of becoming liquid when brought near the head J 
its failure to liquefy is a presage of disaster. 


208 


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sung by the archbishop, in the cathedral; and the inhab¬ 
itants were invited to attend the ceremony, and join in 
thanksgiving for the glorious entry of the French; who, 
it was said, being under the peculiar protection of Provi¬ 
dence, had regenerated the Neapolitans, and were come to 
establish and consolidate their happiness. 

It seems to have been Nelson’s opinion, that the Aus¬ 
trian cabinet regarded the conquest of Naples with com¬ 
placency, and that its measures were directed so as 
designedly not to prevent the French from overrunning 
it. That cabinet was assuredly capable of any folly and 
of any baseness: and it is not improbable that, at this 
time, calculating upon the success of the new coalition, it 
indulged a dream of adding extensively to its former 
Italian possessions; and, therefore, left the few remain¬ 
ing powers of Italy to be overthrown, as a means which 
would facilitate its own ambitious views. The King of 
Sardinia, finding it impossible longer to endure the exac¬ 
tions of France, and the insults of the French commis¬ 
sary, went to Leghorn, embarked on board a Danish 
frigate, and sailed, under British protection, to Sardinia 
—that part of his dominions which the maritime suprem¬ 
acy of England rendered a secure asylum. On his arrival 
he published a protest against the conduct of France; 
declaring, upon the faith and word of a king, that he 
had never infringed, even in the slightest degree, the 
treaties which he had made with the French republic. 
Tuscany was soon occupied by French troops: a fate 
which bolder policy might, perhaps, have failed to avert, 
but which its weak and timid neutrality rendered in¬ 
evitable. Nelson began to fear even for Sicily. “Oh, 
my dear sir,” said he, writing to Commodore Duckworth, 
“one thousand English troops would save Messina,—and 
I fear General Stuart cannot give me men to save this 
most important island!” But his representations were 


The Life of Nelson 


209 


not lost upon Sir Charles Stuart: this officer hastened 
immediately from Minorca, with a thousand men, assisted 
in the measures of defense which were taken, and did 
not return before he had satisfied himself, that, if the 
Neapolitans were excluded from the management of af¬ 
fairs, and the spirit of the peasantry properly directed, 
Sicily was safe. Before his coming, Nelson had offered 
the King, if no resources should arrive, to defend Mes¬ 
sina with the ship’s company of an English man-of- 
war. 

Russia had now entered into the war. Corfu surren¬ 
dered to a Russian and Turkish fleet, acting now, for 
the first time, in strange confederacy; yet against a 
power which was certainly the common and worst enemy 
of both. Troubridge, having given up the blockade of 
Alexandria to Sir Sidney Smith, joined Nelson, bringing 
with him a considerable addition of strength; and in 
himself, what Nelson valued more, a man upon whose 
sagacity, indefatigable zeal, and inexhaustible resources, 
he could place full reliance. Troubridge was instructed 
to commence the operations against the French in the 
Bay of Naples. Meantime Cardinal Ruffo, 1 a man of 
questionable character, but of a temper fitted for such 
times, having landed in Calabria, raised what he called 
a Christian army, composed of the best and the vilest 
materials; loyal peasants, enthusiastic priests and friars, 
galley slaves, the emptying of the jails, and banditti. 
The islands in the Bay of Naples were joyfully delivered 
up by the inhabitants, who were in a state of famine 
alreadv, from the effect of this baleful revolution. Trou- 

1. Cardinal Ruffo. Fabrizio Ruffo (1744-1827), a Neapolitan who, 
though not an ordained priest, had risen to the rank of cardinal in 
the papal service. Ferdinand made him vicar-general, and entrusted 
him with the task of stirring up the peasantry against the French 
government in Naples. Nelson called him “the great devil who com¬ 
manded the Christian army.” 




210 


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bridge distributed among them all bis flour; and Nelson 
pressed the Sicilian court incessantly for supplies, tell¬ 
ing them, that £10,000 given away in provisions would, 
at this time, purchase a kingdom. Money, he was told, 
they had not to give; and the wisdom and integrity which 
might have supplied its want, were not to be found. 
“There is nothing,” said he, “which I propose that 
is not, as far as orders go, implicitly complied with: 
but the execution is dreadful, and almost makes me 
mad. My desire to serve their Majesties faithfully, as 
is my duty, has been such, that I am almost blind and 
worn out; and cannot, in my present state, hold much 
longer.” 

Before any government can be overthrown by the con¬ 
sent of the people, the government must be intolerably 
oppressive, or the people thoroughly corrupted. Bad as 
the misrule of Naples had been, its consequences had been 
felt far less there than in Sicily; and the peasantry had 
that attachment to the soil, which gives birth to so many 
of the noblest, as well as of the happiest feelings. In all 
the islands the people were perfectly frantic with joy, 
when they saw the Neapolitan colors hoisted. At Procida, 1 
Troubridge could not procure even a rag of the tri-col¬ 
ored flag to lay at the King's feet; it was rent into ten 
thousand pieces by the inhabitants, and entirely de¬ 
stroyed. “The horrid treatment of the French,” he 
said, “had made them mad.” It exasperated the ferocity 
of a character which neither the laws nor the religion 
under which they lived tended to mitigate. Their hatred 
was especially directed against the Neapolitan revolution¬ 
ists; and the fishermen, in concert among themselves, 
chose each his own victim, whom he would stiletto when 
the day of vengeance should arrive. The head of one 
was sent off one morning to Troubridge, with his basket 

1. Procida. An island near Naples. 


The Life of Nelson 


211 


of grapes for breakfast,—and a note from the 
Italian who had what he called the glory of present¬ 
ing it, saying, he had killed the man as he was running 
away, and begging his Excellency to accept the head, 
and consider it as a proof of the writer’s attachment to 
the crown. With the first success of the court the work 
of punishment began. The judge at Ischia 1 said it was 
necessary to have a bishop to degrade the traitorous 
priests before he could execute them: upon which Trou- 
bridge advised him to hang them first, and send them 
to him afterwards, if he did not think that degradation 
sufficient. This was said with the straightforward feel¬ 
ing of a sailor, who cared as little for canon law as he 
knew about it: but when he discovered that the judge’s 
orders were to go through the business in a summary 
manner, under his sanction, he told him at once, that 
could not be, for the prisoners were not British subjects; 
and he declined having anything to do with it. There 
were manifestly persons about the court, who, while they 
thirsted for the pleasure of vengeance, were devising how 
to throw the odium of it upon the English. They wanted 
to employ an English man-of-war to carry the priests 
to Palermo, for degradation, and then bring them back 
for execution;—and they applied to Troubridge for a 
hangman, which he indignantly refused. He, meantime, 
was almost heartbroken by the situation in which he 
found himself. He had promised relief to the islanders, 
relying upon the Queen’s promise to him. He had dis¬ 
tributed the whole of his private stock,—there was plenty 
of grain at Palermo, and in its neighborhood, and yet 
none was sent him: the enemy, he complained, had more 
interest there than the King; and the distress for bread, 
which he witnessed, was such, he said, that it would move 
even a Frenchman to pity. 

1. Ischia. An island in the Bay of Naples. 



212 


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Nelson’s heart too was at this time ashore. “To tell 
you,” he says, writing to Lady Hamilton, “how dreary 
and uncomfortable the Vanguard appears, is only telling 
you what it is to go from the pleasantest society to a soli¬ 
tary cell; or from the dearest friends to no friends. I am 
now perfectly the great man ,—not a creature near me. 
From my heart I wish myself the little man again. You 
and good Sir William have spoiled me for any place, 
but with you.” 

His mind was not in a happier state respecting pub¬ 
lic affairs. “As to politics,” said he, “at this time they 
are my abomination:—the ministers of kings and princes 
are as great scoundrels as ever lived. The brother of the 
Emperor is just going to marry the great something of 
Russia, and it is more than expected that a kingdom is to 
be found for him in Italy, and that the King of Naples 
will be sacrificed.” Had there been a wise and manly 
spirit in the Italian states, or had the conduct of Austria 
been directed by anything like a principle of honor, a 
more favorable opportunity could not have been desired, 
for restoring order and prosperity in Europe, than the 
misconduct of the French Directory at this time afforded. 
But Nelson saw selfishness and knavery wherever he 
looked; and even the pleasure of seeing a cause prosper, 
in which he was so zealously engaged, was poisoned by his 
sense of the rascality of those with whom he was com¬ 
pelled to act. At this juncture intelligence arrived that 
the French fleet had escaped from Brest, under cover of a 
fog, passed Cadiz unseen by Lord Keith’s squadron, in 
hazy weather, and entered the Mediterranean. It was 
said to consist of twenty-four sail of the line, six frigates, 
and three sloops. The object of the French was to lib¬ 
erate the Spanish fleet, form a junction with them, act 
against Minorca and Sicily, and overpower our naval 
force in the Mediterranean by falling in with detached 


The Life of Nelson 


213 


squaurons, and thus destroying it in detail. When they 
arrived at Carthagena, they requested the Spanish ships 
to make sail and join; but the Spaniards replied, they 
had not men to man them. To this it was answered, that 
the French had men enough on board for that purpose. 
But the Spaniards seem to have been apprehensive of 
delivering up their ships thus entirely into the power of 
such allies, and refused to come out. The fleet from 
Cadiz, however, consisting of from seventeen to twenty 
sail of the line, got out, under Masaredo, 1 a man who 
then bore an honorable name, which he has since rendered 
infamous by betraying his country. They met with a 
violent storm off the coast of Oran, which dismasted many 
of their ships, and so effectually disabled them, as to 
prevent the junction, and frustrated a well planned 
expedition. 

Before this occurred, and while the junction was as 
probable as it would have been formidable, Nelson was 
in a state of the greatest anxiety. “What a state am I 
in!” said he to Earl St. Vincent. “If I go, I risk, and 
more than risk Sicily: for we know, from experience, 
that more depends upon opinion than upon acts them¬ 
selves : and as I stay, my heart is breaking. 7 ’ His first 
business was to summon Troubridge to join him, with all 
the ships of the line under his command, and a frigate, if 
possible. Then hearing that the French had entered the 
Mediterranean, and expecting them at Palermo, where he 
had only his own ship, with that single ship lie prepared 
to make all the resistance possible. Troubridge having 
joined him, he left Captain E. J: Foote, of the Seahorse, 
to command the smaller vessels in the Bay of Naples, and 
sailed with six ships, one a Portuguese, and a Portuguese 
corvette; telling Earl St. Vincent that the squadron 

1. Masaredo (or Mazareddo). A Spanish admiral; later a supporter 
of Napoleon in Spain. 



214 


The Life of Nelson 


should never fall into the hands of the enemy. “And 
before we are destroyed,” said he, “I have little doubt 
but they will have their wings so completely clipped, that 
they may be easily overtaken.” It was just at this time 
that he received from Captain Hallowell the present of 
the coffin. 1 Such a present was regarded by the men with 
natural astonishment: one of his old shipmates in the 
Agamemnon said : “We shall have hot work of it indeed! 
You see the Admiral intends to fight till he is killed; and 
there he is to be buried.” Nelson placed it upright 
against the bulkhead of his cabin, behind his chair, where 
he sat at dinner. The gift suited him at this time. It is 
said that he was disappointed in the step-son 2 whom he 
had loved so dearly from his childhood, and who had 
saved his life at Teneriffe: and it is certain that he had 
now formed an infatuated attachment for Lady Hamil¬ 
ton, which totally weaned his affections from his wife. 
Further than this, there is no reason to believe that this 
most unfortunate attachment was criminal: but this was 
criminality enough, and it brought with it its punish¬ 
ment. Nelson was dissatisfied with himself, and therefore 
weary of the world. This feeling he now frequently ex¬ 
pressed. “There is no true happiness in this life,” said 
he; “and in my present state I could quit it with a 
smile.” And in a letter to his old friend Davison, he 
said : ‘ ‘ Believe me, my only wish, is to sink with honor into 
the grave; and when that shall please God, I shall meet 
death with a smile. Not that I am insensible to the honors 
and riches my King and country have heaped upon me— 
so much more than any officer could deserve; yet I am 
ready to quit this world of trouble, and envy none but 
those of the estate six feet by two. ’ ’ 

Well had it been for Nelson if he had made no other 

1. Present of the coffin. See p. 178. 

2. Disappointed in the step-so7i. See page 80, note 1, and p. 150. 


The Life of Nelson 


215 


sacrifices to this unhappy attachment than his peace of 
mind; but it led to the only blot upon his public char¬ 
acter. While he sailed from Palermo, with the intention 
of collecting his whole force, and keeping off Maretimo, 1 
either to receive reinforcements there, if the French were 
bound upwards, or to hasten to Minorca, if that should be 
their destination, Captain Foote, in the Seahorse, with 
the Neapolitan frigates and some small vessels under his 
command, was left to act with a land force consisting of a 
few regular troops, of four different nations, and with the 
armed rabble which Cardinal Ruffo called the Christian 
army. His directions were, to co-operate to the utmost of 
his power with the royalists, at whose head Ruffo had 
been placed; and he had no other instructions whatever. 
Ruffo advancing, without any plan, but relying upon the 
enemy’s want of numbers, which prevented them from 
attempting to act upon the offensive, and ready to take 
advantage of any accident which might occur, approached 
Naples. Fort St. Elmo, which commands the town, was 
wholly garrisoned by the French troops ; the castles of 
Uovo and Nuovo, which commanded the anchorage, were 
chiefly defended by Neapolitan revolutionists, the power¬ 
ful men among them having taken shelter there. If these 
castles were taken, the reduction of Fort St. Elmo would 
be greatly expedited. They were strong places, and there 
was reason to apprehend that the French fleet might 
arrive to relieve them. Ruffo proposed to the garrison 
to capitulate, on condition that their persons and prop¬ 
erty should be guaranteed, and that they should, at their 
own option, either be sent to Toulon or remain at Naples, 
without being molested either in their persons or families. 
This capitulation was accepted: it was signed by the 
Cardinal, and the Russian and Turkish commanders; 
and, lastly, by Captain Foote, as commander of the 

1. Maretimo (or Marittimo). A small island west of Sicily. 


216 


The Life of Nelson 


British force. About six-and-thirty hours afterwards 
Nelson arrived in the Bay, with a force, which had joined 
him during his cruise, consisting of seventeen sail of the 
line, with seventeen hundred troops on board, and the 
Prince Royal of Naples in the Admiral’s ship. A flag of 
truce was flying on the castles, and on board the Seahorse. 
Nelson made a signal to annul the treaty, declaring that 
he would grant rebels no other terms than those of un¬ 
conditional submission. The Cardinal objected to this; 
nor could all the arguments of Nelson, Sir William Ham¬ 
ilton, and Lady Hamilton, who took an active part in 
the conference, convince him that a treaty of such a 
nature, solemnly concluded, could honorably be set aside. 
He retired at last, silenced by Nelson’s authority, but not 
convinced. Captain Foote was sent out of the Bay; and 
the garrisons, taken out of the castles, under pretence of 
carrying the treaty into effect, were delivered over as 
rebels to the vengeance of the Sicilian court.—A deplor¬ 
able transaction ! a stain upon the memory of Nelson, and 
the honor of England! To palliate it would be in vain; 
to justify it would be wicked: there is no alternative for 
one who will not make himself a participator in guilt, but 
to record the disgraceful story* with sorrow and with 
shame. 

Prince Francesco Caraccioli, a younger branch of one 
of the noblest Neapolitan families, escaped from one of 

* In one of his letters to Lady Hamilton, written a few weeks before 
this fatal transaction, Nelson says in speaking of the Queen : “I de¬ 
clare to God, my whole study is how to meet her approbation.”— 
Southey’s Note. In the opinion of Admiral Mahan (Life of Nelson, 
vol. i, p. 432), Nelson, whether justified or not, was at least within 
his. rights in annulling the treaty, which had been executed by parties 
acting as representatives and not as principals, and not accredited for 
that specific purpose. Ruffo, indeed, had according to Nelson acted 
“in direct disobedience” of the King’s orders. It is a disputed point, 
furthermore, whether any steps had been taken to put the treaty into 
execution. Nelson's fault lay chiefly in subordinating his duties as a 
British naval officer to those as a representative of the King of Naples. 


The Life of Nelson 


217 


these castles before it capitulated. He was at the head 
of the marine, and was nearly seventy 1 years of age, bear¬ 
ing a high character, both for professional and personal 
merit. He had accompanied the court to Sicily: but 
when the revolutionary government, or Parthenopasan 2 
Republic, as it was called, issued an edict, ordering all 
absent Neapolitans to return, on pain of confiscation of 
their property, he solicited and obtained permission of 
the King to return, his estates being very great. It is 
said that the King, when he granted him this permission, 
warned him not to take any part in politics; expressing, 
at the same time, his own persuasion that he should re¬ 
cover his kingdom. But neither the King, nor he him¬ 
self ought to have imagined that, in such times, a man 
of such reputation would be permitted to remain inactive; 
and it soon appeared that Caraccioli was again in com¬ 
mand of the navy, and serving under the republic against 
his late sovereign. The sailors reported that he was 
forced to act thus; and this was believed, till it was seen 
that he directed ably the offensive operations of the revo¬ 
lutionists, and did not avail himself of opportunities for 
escaping when they offered. When the recovery of Naples 
was evidently near, he applied to Cardinal Ruffo, and to 
the Duke of Calvirrano, for protection; expressing his 
hope, that the few days during which he had been forced 
to obey the French would not outweigh forty years of 
faithful services; but, perhaps not receiving such assur¬ 
ances as he wished, and knowing too well the temper of 
the Sicilian court, he endeavored to secrete himself, and 
a price was set upon his head. More unfortunately for 
others than for himself, he was brought in alive, having 

1. Nearly seventy years of aye. Caraccioli was born in 1732, and 
was thus sixty-seven at the time of bis death. (Encyc. Brit.) 

2. Parthcnopwan Republic. So called from Parthenope. the ancient 
name of Naples. Nelson referred to it in his letters as the “Vesuvian 
Republic.” 


218 


The Life of Nelson 


been discovered in the disguise of a peasant, and carried 
one morning on board Lord Nelson’s ship, with his hands 
tied behind him. 

Caraccioli was well known to the British officers, and 
had been ever highly esteemed by all who knew him. Cap¬ 
tain Hardy ordered him immediately to be unbound, and 
to be treated with all those attentions which he felt due to 
a man who, when last on board the Foudroyant, had been 
received as an admiral and a prince. Sir William and 
Lady Hamilton were in the ship, but Nelson, it is af¬ 
firmed, saw no one except his own officers during the 
tragedy which ensued. His own determination was made; 
and he issued an order to the Neapolitan commodore, 
Count Tliurn, to assemble a court-martial of Neapolitan 
officers, on board the British flag-ship, proceed immedi¬ 
ately to try the prisoner, and report to him, if the 
charges were proved, what punishment he ought to suf¬ 
fer. These proceedings were as rapid as possible; 
Caraccioli was brought on board at nine in the forenoon, 
and the trial began at ten. It lasted two hours: he 
averred, in his defence, that he had acted under com¬ 
pulsion, having been compelled to serve as a common 
soldier, till he consented to take command of the fleet. 
This, the apologists of Lord Nelson say, he failed in 
proving. They forget that the possibility of proving it 
was not allowed him; for he was brought to trial within 
an hour after he was legally in arrest; and how, in that 
time, was he to collect his witnesses? He was found 
guilty, and sentenced to death; and Nelson gave orders 
that the sentence should be carried into effect that even¬ 
ing, at five o’clock, on board the Sicilian frigate, La 
Minerva, by hanging him at the fore-yard-arm till sunset; 
when the body was to be cut down and thrown into the 
sea. Caraccioli requested Lieutenant Parkinson, under 
whose custody he was placed, to intercede with Lord 


The Life of Nelson 


219 


Nelson for a second trial,—for this, among other reasons, 
that Count Thurn, who presided at the court-martial, was 
notoriously his personal enemy. Nelson made answer, 
that the prisoner had been fairly tried by the officers of 
his own country, and he could not interfere—forgetting 
that, if he felt himself justified in ordering the trial and 
the execution, no human being could ever have questioned 
the propriety of his interfering on the side of mercy. 
Caraccioli then entreated that he might be shot,—“I am 
an old man, sir, ’ ’ said he; ‘ ‘ I leave no family to lament 
me, and therefore cannot be supposed to be very anxious 
about prolonging my life; but the disgrace of being 
hanged is dreadful to me.” When this was repeated to 
Nelson, he only told the Lieutenant, with much agitation, 
to go and attend to his duty. As a last hope, Caraccioli 
asked the Lieutenant if he thought an application to 
Lady Hamilton would be beneficial? Parkinson went to 
seek her. She was not to be seen on this occasion,—but 
she was present at the execution. She had the most 
devoted attachment to the Neapolitan court; and the 
hatred which she felt against those whom she regarded 
as its enemies made her, at this time, forget what was 
due to the character of her sex, as well as of her country. 
Here, also, a faithful historian is called upon to pro¬ 
nounce a severe and unqualified condemnation of Nel¬ 
son’s conduct. Had he the authority of his Sicilian 
Majesty for proceeding as he did? If so, why was not 
that authority produced? If not, why were the pro¬ 
ceedings hurried on without it ? Why was the trial pre¬ 
cipitated so that it was impossible for the prisoner, if he 
had been innocent, to provide the witnesses who might 
have proved him so ? Why was the second trial refused, 
when the known animosity of the President of the court 
against the prisoner was considered ? Why was the exe¬ 
cution hastened so as to preclude any appeal for mercy, 


220 


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and render the prerogative of mercy useless ?—Doubtless, 
the British Admiral seemed to himself to be acting under 
a rigid sense of justice; but, to all other persons, it was 
obvious that he was influenced bv an infatuated attach- 
ment—a baneful passion, which destroyed his domestic 
happiness, and now, in a second instance, stained in- 
effaceably his public character . 1 

The body was carried out to a considerable distance, 
and sunk in the bay, with three double-headed shot, 
weighing two hundred and fifty pounds, tied to its legs. 
Between two and three weeks afterwards, when the King 
was on board the Foudroyant, a Neapolitan fisherman 
came to the ship, and solemnly declared that Caraccioli 
had risen from the bottom of the sea, and was coming, 
as fast as he could, to Naples, swimming half out of the 
water. Such an account was listened to like a tale of 
idle credulity. The day being fair, Nelson, to please the 
King, stood out to sea; but the ship had not proceeded 
far before a body was distinctly seen, upright in the 
water, and approaching them. It was soon recognized to 
be, indeed, the corpse of Caraccioli, which had risen and 
floated, while the great weights attached to the legs kept 
the body in a position like that of a living man. A fact 
so extraordinary astonished the King, and perhaps ex¬ 
cited some feeling of superstitious fear, akin to regret. 
He gave permission for the body to be taken on shore, 
and receive Christian burial. It produced no better 
. effect. Naples exhibited more dreadful scenes than it had 

1 . Ftained , . . his public character. Regarding Nelson’s con¬ 

duct In the trial of Caraccioli, modern historians are on the whole 
inclined to support Southey’s judgment. Admiral Mahan (Life of 
Nelson, Vol. I, p. 441) clears Nelson from “the stigma of treachery 
and unworthy influence,” but regards the abrupt execution as “par¬ 
donable perhaps in a Neapolitan royalist but not in a foreign oflieer 
only Indirectly interested in fhe issues at stake.” Nelson himself 
speaks of “SIclllfying my own conscience.” 


The Life of Nelson 


221 


witnessed* in the days of Massaniello . 1 After the mob 
had had their fill of blood and plunder, the reins were 
given to justice—if that can be called justice which an¬ 
nuls its own stipulations, looks to the naked facts alone, 
disregarding all motives and all circumstances; and, 
without considering character or science, or sex, or youth, 
sacrifices its victims, not for the public weal, but for the 
gratification of greedy vengeance. 

The castles of St. Elmo, Gaeta, and Capua , 2 remained 
to be subdued. On the land side, there was no danger 
that the French in these garrisons should be relieved, for 
Suvarof 3 was now beginning to drive the enemy before 
him; but Nelson thought his presence necessary in the 
Bay of Naples: and when Lord Keith, having received in¬ 
telligence that the French and Spanish fleets had formed 
a junction, and sailed for Carthagena, ordered him to re¬ 
pair to Minorca, with the whole or the greater part of 
his force, he sent Admiral Duckworth with a small part 
only. This was a dilemma which he had foreseen. 
1 ‘Should such an order come at this moment,” he said, 
in a letter previously written to the Admiralty, ‘ ‘ it would 
be a case for some consideration, whether Minorca is to 
be risked, or the two kingdoms of Naples and Sicily: T 
rather think my decision would be to risk the former.” 
And, after he had acted upon this opinion, he wrote in 
these terms to the Duke of Clarence, with whose high no¬ 
tions of obedience he was well acquainted: “I am well 
aware of the consequences of disobeying my orders; but 

1. Massaniello (contracted from Tommaso Aniello), 1G23-1647. An 
Amalfi fisherman who in 1647 led a successful revolt against the Span¬ 
ish viceroy in Naples. 

2. St. Elmo, Gaeta, and Capua. St. Elmo is a fortress overlooking 
Naples, Gaeta is a town on the coast farther north, and Capua is 
about twenty miles inland. 

3. Suvarof. Leader of the Russian army in Italy. See p. 198, and 

note. 



222 


The Life of Nelson 


as I have often before risked my life for the good cause, 
so I, with cheerfulness, did my commission, for, although 
a military tribunal may think me criminal, the world will 
approve of my conduct: and I regard not my own safety, 
when the honor of my King is at stake. ’ ’ 

Nelson was right in his judgment: no attempt was 
made upon Minorca; and the expulsion of the French 
from Naples may rather be said to have been effected, 
than accelerated, by the English and Portuguese of the 
allied fleet, acting upon shore, under Troubridge. The 
French commandant at St. Elmo, relying upon the 
strength of the place, and the nature of the force which 
attacked it, had insulted Captain Foote in the grossest 
terms: but Citoyen Mejan was soon taught better man¬ 
ners, when Troubridge, in spite of every obstacle, opened 
five batteries upon the fort. He was informed, that none 
of his letters, with the insolent printed words at the top, 
Libert e, Egalite, Guerre aux Tyro ns, 1 etc., would be re¬ 
ceived ; but that, if he wrote like a soldier and a gentle¬ 
man, he should be answered in the same style. The 
Frenchman then began to flatter his antagonist upon the 
bienfaisance 2 and humanite, which he said, were the least 
of the many virtues which distinguished Monsieur Trou¬ 
bridge. Monsieur Troubridge’s bienfaisance was, at this 
time, thinking of mining the fort.—“If we can accom¬ 
plish that,” said he, “I am a strong advocate to send 
them, hostages and all, to Old Nick, and surprise him 
with a group of nobility and republicans. Meantime,” 
he added, “it was some satisfaction to perceive that the 
shells fell well, and broke some of their shins.” Finally, 
to complete his character, Mejan offered to surrender for 
150,000 ducats. Great Britain, perhaps, has made but 

1. Libert^, etc. “Liberty, Equality, War on Tyrants”—watchwords 
of the French Revolution. 

2. Bienfaisance. Kindness. 


The Life of Nelson 


223 


too little use of this kind of artillery, which France has 
found so effectual towards subjugating the continent: 
but Troubridge had the prey within his reach; and, in 
the course of a few days, his last battery, “after much 
trouble and palaver,” as he said, “brought the vagabonds 
to their senses. ’ ’ 

Troubridge had more difficulties to overcome in this 
siege, from the character of the Neapolitans who pre¬ 
tended to assist him, and whom he made useful, than even 
from the strength of the place and the skill of the French. 
“Such damned cowards and villains,” he declared, “he 
had never seen before. ’ ’ The men at the advanced posts 
carried on, what he called, “a diabolical good understand¬ 
ing” with the enemy, and the workmen would sometimes 
take fright and run away. “I make the best I can,” said 
he, £ ‘ of the degenerate race I have to deal with: the whole 
means of guns, ammunition, pioneers, etc., with all mate¬ 
rials, rest with them. With fair promises to the men, and 
threats of instant death if I found any one erring, a little 
spur has been given.” Nelson said of him, with truth, 
upon this occasion, that he was a first-rate general. “I 
find, sir,” said he afterwards, in a letter to the Duke of 
Clarence, “that General Koehler 1 does not approve of 
such irregular proceedings as naval officers attacking and 
defending fortifications. We have but one idea,—to get 
close alongside. None but a sailor would have placed a 
battery only one hundred and eighty yards from the 
castle of St. Elmo : a soldier must have gone according to 
art, and the ZZ way. 2 My brave Troubridge went 
straight on, for we had no time to spare.” 

1. General Koehler. An artillery officer in the British army. In 
the spring of 1799 Koehler was sent to aid the Turks against Na¬ 
poleon, and passed through the Mediterranean on his way. 

2. The ZZ vcay. Presumably, by zigzag trenches. Burke in the sec¬ 
ond of his Letters on a Regicide Peace (179G) applies the phrase, 
“the surer mode of zigzag,” to the methods employed by politicians. 

3 


224 


The Life of Nelson 


Troubridge then proceeded to Capua, and took the 
command of the motley besieging force. One thousand of 
the best men in the fleet were sent to assist in the siege. 
Just at this time Nelson received a peremptory order 
from Lord Keith, to sail with the whole of his force for 
the protection of Minorca; or, at least, to retain no more 
than was absolutely necessary at Sicily. “You will easily 
conceive my feelings,” said he, in communicating this 
to Earl St. Vincent; “but my mind, as your lordship 
knows, was perfectly prepared for this order; and it is 
now, more than ever, made up. At this moment I will 
not part with a single ship; as I cannot do that without 
drawing a hundred and twenty men from each ship, now 
at the siege of Capua. I am fully aware of the act I have 
committed; but I am prepared for any fate which may 
await my disobedience. Capua and Gaeta will soon fall; 
and the moment the scoundrels of French are out of this 
kingdom, I shall send eight or nine ships of the line to 
Minorca. I have done what I thought right: others may 
think differently: but it will be my consolation that I 
have gained a kingdom, seated a faithful ally of his 
Majesty firmly on his throne, and restored happiness to 
millions.” 

At Capua, Troubridge had the same difficulties as at 
St. Elmo; and being farther from Naples, and from the 
fleet, was less able to overcome them. The powder was so 
bad that he suspected treachery: and when he asked Nel¬ 
son to spare him forty casks from the ships, he told him 
it would be necessary that some Englishmen should ac¬ 
company it, or they would steal one half, and change the 
other. “Every man you see,” said he, “gentle and 
simple, are such notorious villains, that it is a misery to 
be with them.” Capua, however, soon fell. Gaeta im¬ 
mediately afterwards surrendered to Captain Louis of 
the Minotaur. Here the commanding officer acted more 


Ti-ie Life of Nelson 


225 


unlike a Frenchman, Captain Louis said, than any one he 
had ever met; meaning that he acted like a man of honor. 
He required, however, that the garrison should carry 
away their horses and other pillaged property: to which 
Nelson replied: “That no property which they did not 
bring with them into the country could be theirs; and that 
the greatest care should be taken to prevent them from 
carrying it away.”—“I am sorry,” said he to Captain 
Louis, ‘.‘that you have entered into any altercation. There 
is no way of dealing with a Frenchman but to knock him 
down: to be civil to them is only to be laughed at, when 
they are enemies. ’ ’ 

The whole kingdom of Naples was thus delivered by 
Nelson from the French. The Admiralty, however, 
thought it expedient to censure him for disobeying Lord 
Keith’s orders, and thus hazarding Minorca, without, as 
it appeared to them, any sufficient reason; and also for 
having landed seamen for the siege of Capua, to form 
part of an army employed in operations at a distance 
from the coast; where, in case of defeat, they might have 
been prevented from returning to their ships; and they 
enjoined him “not to employ the seamen in like manner 
in future.” This reprimand was issued before the event 1 
was known; though, indeed, the event would not affect 
the principle upon which it proceeded. When Nelson 
communicated the tidings of his complete success he said, 
in his public letter, “that it would not be the less accept¬ 
able for having been principally brought about by Brit¬ 
ish sailors.” His judgment in thus employing them had 
been justified by the result; and his joy was evidently 
heightened by the gratification of a professional and be¬ 
coming pride. To the First Lord he said, at the same 
time, “I certainly, from having only a left hand, cannot 
enter into details which may explain the motives that 


1. Event. Outcome. 


226 


The Life of Nelson 


actuated my conduct. My principle is, to assist in driv¬ 
ing the French to the devil, and in restoring peace and 
happiness to mankind. I feel that I am fitter to do the 
action than to describe it.” He then added, that he 
would take care of Minorca. 

In expelling the French from Naples, Nelson had, with 
characteristic zeal and ability, discharged his duty; but 
he deceived himself, when he imagined that he had seated 
Ferdinand firmly on his throne, and that he had restored 
happiness to millions. These objects might have been ac¬ 
complished if it had been possible to inspire virtue and 
wisdom into a vicious and infatuated court; and if Nel¬ 
son’s eyes had not been, as it were, spellbound by that 
unhappy attachment which had now completely mastered 
him, he would have seen things as they were; and might, 
perhaps, have awakened the Sicilian court to a sense of 
their interest, if not of their duty. That court employed 
itself in a miserable round of folly and festivity, while the 
prisons of Naples were filled with groans, and the scaf¬ 
folds streamed with blood. St. Januarius was solemnly 
removed from his rank as patron saint of the kingdom, 
having been convicted of Jacobinism; and St. Antonio as 
solemnly installed in his place. The King, instead of re¬ 
establishing order at Naples by his presence, speedily 
returned to Palermo, to indulge in his favorite amuse¬ 
ments. Nelson, and the ambassador’s family, accompa¬ 
nied the court; and Troubridge remained, groaning over 
the villainy and frivolity of those with whom he was com¬ 
pelled to deal. A party of officers applied to him for a 
passage to Palermo, to see the procession of St. Rosalia :— 
he recommended them to exercise their troops, and not 
behave like children. It was grief enough for him that 
the court should be busied in these follies, and Nelson 
involved in them. * 1 1 dread, my Lord,’’ said he, ‘ ‘all the 
feasting, etc., at Palermo. I am sure your health will be 




The Life of Nelson 


227 


hurt. If so, all their saints will be damned by the Navy. 
The King would be better employed digesting a good gov¬ 
ernment: everything gives way to their pleasures. The 
money spent at Palermo gives discontent here : fifty thou¬ 
sand people are unemployed, trade discouraged, manu¬ 
factures at a stand. It is the interest of many here to 
keep the King away: they all dread reform. Their vil¬ 
lainies are so deeply rooted, that, if some method is not 
taken to dig them out, this government cannot hold to¬ 
gether. Out of twenty millions of ducats, collected as the 
revenue, only thirteen millions reach the treasury; and 
the King pays four ducats where he should pay one. He 
is surrounded by thieves; and none of them have honor 
or honesty enough to tell him the real and true state of 
things.” In another letter, he expressed his sense of the 
miserable state of Naples. “ There are upwards of forty 
thousand families,” said he, “who have relations con¬ 
fined. If some act of oblivion is not passed, there will be 
no end of persecution; for the people of this country have 
no idea of anything but revenge; and, to gain a point, 
would swear ten thousand false oaths. Constant efforts 
are made to get a man taken up in order to rob him. 
The confiscated property does not reach the King’s treas¬ 
ury.—All thieves! It is selling for nothing. His own 
people, whom he employs, are buying it up, and the vaga¬ 
bonds pocket the whole. I should not be surprised to 
hear that they brought a bill of expenses against him for 
the sale.” 

The Sicilian court, however, were at this time duly 
sensible of the services which had been rendered them by 
the British fleet, and their gratitude to Nelson was shown 
with proper and princely munificence.—They gave him 
the dukedom and domain of Bronte, 1 worth about £3000 

1. Bronte. The town and estate connected with the title are located 
in Sicily. 



228 


The Life of Nelson 


a year. It was some days before lie could be persuaded to 
accept it: the argument which finally prevailed is said 
^0 have been suggested by the Queen, and urged, at her 
request, by Lady Hamilton, upon her knees. “He con¬ 
sidered his own honor too much,” she said, “if he per¬ 
sisted in refusing what the King and Queen felt to be 
absolutely necessary for the preservation of theirs.” The 
King himself, also, is said to have addressed him in words 
which show that the sense of rank will sometimes confer 
a virtue upon those who seem to be most unworthy of the 
lot to which they have been born: “Lord Nelson, do you 
wish that your name alone should pass with honor to pos¬ 
terity ; and that I, Ferdinand Bourbon, should appear un¬ 
grateful ? ’ ’ lie gave him also, when the dukedom was 
accepted, a diamond-hilted sword, which his father, 
Charles III. of Spain, had given him, on his accession to 
the throne of the Two Sicilies. Nelson said, ‘ ‘ The reward 
was magnificent, and worthy of a king, and he w y as deter¬ 
mined that the inhabitants on the domain should be the 
happiest in all his Sicilian Majesty’s dominions.—Yet,” 
said he, speaking of these and the other remunerations 
which were made him for his services, “these presents, 
rich as they are, do not elevate me. My pride is, that, at 
Constantinople, from the Grand Seignior to the lowest 
Turk, the name of Nelson is familiar in their mouths; and 
in this country I am everything which a grateful monarch 
and people can call me.” Nelson, however, had a par¬ 
donable pride in the outward and visible signs of honor, 
which lie had so fairly won. He was fond of his Sicilian 
tide; the signification, perhaps, pleased him;—Duke of 
Thunder 1 was what in Dahomy would be called a strong 
name; it was to a sailor’s taste; and, certainly, to no man 
could it ever be more applicable. But a simple offering, 
which he received not long afterwards, from the island 

1. Duke oj Thunder. Eronte is Greek for thunder. 


The Life of Nelson 


229 


of Zante, affected him with a deeper and finer feeling. 
The Greeks of that little community sent him a golden¬ 
headed sword, and a truncheon, set round with all the 
diamonds that the island could furnish, in a single row. 
They thanked him ‘‘for having, by his victory, preserved 
that part of Greece from the horrors of anarchy; and 
prayed that his exploits might accelerate the day, in 
which, amidst the glory and peace of thrones, the miseries 
of the human race would cease.” This unexpected trib¬ 
ute touched Nelson to the heart. “No officer,” he said, 
“had ever received from any country a higher acknowl¬ 
edgment of his services.” 

The French still occupied the Roman states; from 
which, according to their own admission, they had ex¬ 
torted, in jewels, plate, specie, and requisitions of every 
kind, to the enormous amount of eight millions sterling: 
yet they affected to appear as deliverers among the peo¬ 
ple whom they were thus cruelly plundering; and they 
distributed portraits of Bonaparte, with the blasphemous 
inscription—“This is the true likeness of the Holy Sav¬ 
iour of the world!” The people, detesting the impiety, 
and groaning beneath the exactions of these perfidious 
robbers, were ready to join any regular force that should 
come to their assistance; but they dreaded Cardinal 
Ruffo’s rabble, and declared they would resist them as 
banditti, who came only for the purpose of pillage. Nel¬ 
son perceived that no object was now so essential for the 
tranquillity of Naples as the recovery of Rome; which, in 
the present state of things, when Suvarof was driving the 
French before him, would complete the deliverance of 
Italy. He applied, therefore, to Sir James St. Clair 
Erskine, who, in the absence of General Fox, commanded 
at Minorca, to assist in this great object with twelve hun¬ 
dred men. “The field of glory,” said he, “is a large one, 
and was never more open to any one than at this moment 



230 


The Life of Nelson 


to you. Rome would throw open lier gates, and receive 
you as her deliverer: and the Pope would owe his restora¬ 
tion to a heretic.” But Sir James Erskine looked only 
at the difficulties of the undertaking. ‘ ‘ Twelve hundred 
men, he thought, would be too small a force to be com¬ 
mitted in such an enterprise; for Civita Yecchia 1 was a 
regular fortress. The local situation and climate, also, 
were such, that, even if this force were adequate, it would 
be proper to delay the expedition till October. General 
Fox, too, was soon expected; and during his absence, and 
under existing circumstances, he did not feel justified in 
sending away such a detachment.” 

What this general thought it imprudent to attempt, 
Nelson and Troubridge effected without his assistance, by 
a small detachment from the fleet. Troubridge first sent 
Captain Hallowed to Civita Veccliia, to offer the garrison 
there, and at Castle St. Angelo, 2 the same terms which 
had been granted to Gaeta. Hallowell perceived, by the 
overstrained civility of the officers who came off to him, 
and the compliments which they paid to the English 
nation, that they were sensible of their own weakness, and 
their-inability to offer any effectual resistance; but the 
French know, that while they are in a condition to serve 
their government, they can rely upon it for every possible 
exertion in their support; and this reliance gives them 
hope and confidence to the last. Upon Hallowed’s report, 
Troubridge, who had now been made Sir Thomas for his 
services, sent Captain Louis, with a squadron, to enforce 
the terms which he had offered; and, as soon as he could 
leave Naples, lie himself followed. The French, who had 
no longer any hope from the fate of arms, relied upon 
their skid in negotiation, and proposed terms to Trou- 

1. Civita Vccchia. A seaport near Rome. 

2. Castle St. Angelo. A fortress in Rome; originally the tomb of 
the Emperor Hadrian. 


The Life of Nelson 


231 


bridge with that effrontery which characterizes their pub¬ 
lic proceedings; but which is as often successful as it is 
impudent. They had a man of the right stamp to deal 
with. Their ambassador at Rome began by saying, that 
the Roman territory was the property of the French by 
right of conquest. The British Commodore settled that 
point, by replying, “It is mine by reconquest.” A ca¬ 
pitulation was soon concluded for all the Roman states, 
and Captain Louis rowed up the Tiber in his barge, 
hoisted English colors on the capitol, and acted, for the 
time, as governor of Rome. The prophecy of the Irish 
poet 1 was thus accomplished, and the friar reaped the 
fruits: for Nelson, who was struck with the oddity of the 
circumstance, and not a little pleased with it, obtained 
preferment for him from the King of Sicily, and recom¬ 
mended him to the Pope. 

Having thus completed his work upon the continent of 
Italy, Nelson’s whole attention was directed towards 
Malta, where Captain Ball, with most inadequate means, 
was besieging the French garrison. Never was any offi¬ 
cer engaged in a more anxious and painful service: the 
smallest reinforcement from France would, at any mo¬ 
ment, have turned the scale against him; and had it not 
been for his consummate ability, and the love and ven¬ 
eration with which the Maltese regarded him, Malta must 
have remained in the hands of the enemy. Men, money, 
food,—all things were wanting. The garrison consisted 
of five thousand troops, the besieging force of five hun¬ 
dred English and Portuguese marines, and about fifteen 
hundred armed peasants. Long and repeatedly did Nel¬ 
son solicit troops to effect the reduction of this important 
place. 

“It has been no fault of the Navy,” said he, “that 
Malta has not been attacked by land, but we have neither 

1. Prophecy of the Irish poet. See p. 202. 



232 


The Life of Nelson 


the means ourselves, nor influence with those who have.” 
The same causes of demurral existed which prevented 
British troops from assisting in the expulsion of the 
French from Rome. Sir James Erskine was expecting 
General Fox; he could not act without orders; and not 
having, like Nelson, that lively spring of hope within him, 
which partakes enough of the nature of faith to work 
miracles in war, he thought it * 1 evident, that unless a 
respectable land force, in numbers sufficient to undertake 
the siege of such a garrison, in one of the strongest places 
of Europe, and supplied with proportionate artillery and 
stores, were sent against it, no reasonable hope could be 
entertained of its surrender.” Nelson groaned over the 
spirit of over-reasoning caution, and unreasoning obedi¬ 
ence. “My heart,” said he, “is almost broken. If the 
enemy gets supplies in, we may bid adieu to Malta ; all the 
force we can collect would then be of little use against the 
strongest place in Europe. To say that an officer is 
never, for any object, to alter his orders, is what I cannot 
comprehend. The circumstances of this war so often 
vary, that an officer has almost every moment to consider, 
What would my superiors direct did they know what is 
passing under my nose? But, sir,” said he, writing to 
the Duke of Clarence, “I find few think as I do. To obev 
orders is all perfection. To serve my king, and to destroy 
the French, I consider as the great order of all, from 
which little ones spring; and if one of these militate 
against it (for who can tell exactly at a distance?) I go 
back and obey the great order and object, to down—down 
with the damned French villains! My blood boils at the 
name of Frenchman!” 

At length General Fox arrived at Minorca,—and, at 
length, permitted Colonel Graham to go to Malta, but with 
means miserably limited. In fact, the expedition was 
at a stand for want of money; when Troubridge arriving 


The Life of Nelson 


233 


at Messina, to co-operate in it, and finding this fresh 
delay, immediately offered all that he could command of 
his own. “I procured him, my lord,” said he to Nelson, 
“fifteen thousand of my cobs: 1 —every farthing, and 
every atom of me shall be devoted to the cause.” “What 
can this mean ? ’ ’ said Nelson, when he learned that Colonel 
Graham was ordered not to incur any expense for stores, 
or any articles except provisions,—“the cause cannot 
stand still for want of a little money. If nobody will pay 
it, I will sell Bronte, and the Emperor of Russia’s box. ’ ’ 2 
And he actually pledged Bronte for £6600, if there 
should be any difficulty about paying the bills. The long 
delayed expedition was thus, at last, set forth; but Trou- 
bridge little imagined in what scenes of misery he was to 
bear his part. He looked to Sicily for supplies; it was 
the interest, as well as the duty, of the Sicilian govern¬ 
ment to use every exertion for furnishing them; and Nel¬ 
son and the British Ambassador were on the spot to press 
upon them the necessity of exertion. But though Nelson 
saw with what a knavish crew the Sicilian court was sur¬ 
rounded, he was blind to the vices of the court itself, and 
resigning himself wholly to Lady Hamilton’s influence, 
never even suspected the crooked policy which it was 
remorselessly pursuing. The Maltese, and the British in 
Malta severely felt it. Troubridge, who had the truest 
affection for Nelson, knew his infatuation, and feared that 
it might prove injurious to his character, as well as fatal 
to an enterprise which had begun so well, and been car¬ 
ried on so patiently. “My Lord,” said he, writing to 
him from the siege, “we are dying off fast from want. 
I learn that Sir William Hamilton says Prince Luzzi 
refused com some time ago, and Sir William does not 
think it worth while making another application. If that 

1. Cobs. Nautical slang for Spanish dollars. 

2. Emperor of Russia's box. See p. 181. 






234 


The Life of Nelson 


be the case, I wish he commanded this distressing scene 
instead of me. Puglia had an immense harvest: near 
thirty sail left Messina, before I did, to load corn. Will 
they let us have any ? If not, a short time will decide the 
business. The German interest prevails. I wish I was at 
your lordship’s elbow for an hour. All, all, will be thrown 
on you! I will parry the blow as much as is in my power. 
I foresee much mischief brewing. God bless your lord- 
ship ! I am miserable; I cannot assist your operations 
more. Many happy returns of the day to you (it was the 
first of the new year) ; I never spent so miserable a one. 
I am not very tender-hearted, but really the distress here 
would even move a Neapolitan.” Soon afterwards he 
wrote, “I have this day saved thirty thousand people 
from starving, but with this day my ability ceases. As 
the government are bent on starving us, I see no alterna¬ 
tive but to leave these poor, unhappy people to perish 
without our being witnesses of their distress. I curse the 
day I ever served the Neapolitan government.—We have 
characters, my Lord, to lose; these people have none. Do 
not suffer their infamous conduct to fall on us. Our 
country is just, but severe. Such is the fever of my brain 
this minute, that I assure you, on my honor, if the Pa¬ 
lermo traitors were here, I would shoot them first and 
then myself. Girgenti is full of corn; the money is ready 
to pay for it; we do not ask it as a gift. Oh! could you 
see the horrid distress I daily experience, something 
would be done.—Some engine 1 is at work against us at 
Naples, and I believe I hit on the proper person. If you 
complain, he will be immediately promoted, agreeably to 
the Neapolitan custom. All I write to you is known at 
the Queen’s. For my own part, I look upon the Nea¬ 
politans as the worst of intriguing enemies: every hour 
shows me their infamy and duplicity. I pray your lord- 

1. Engine. Trick, machination. 


The Life of Nelson 


235 


ship be cautious: your honest, open manner of acting 
will be made a handle of. When I see you, and tell of 
their infamous tricks, you will be as much surprised as I 
am. The whole will fall on you.” 

Nelson was not, and could not be, insensible to the dis¬ 
tress which his friend so earnestly represented. He 
begged, almost on his knees, he said, small supplies of 
money and corn, to keep the Maltese from starving. And 
when the court granted a small supply, protesting their 
poverty, he believed their protestations, and was satisfied 
with their professions, instead of insisting that the re¬ 
strictions upon the exportation of corn should be with¬ 
drawn. The anxiety, however, which he endured affected 
him so deeply, that he said it had broken his spirit for 
ever. Happily all that Troubridge, with so much reason, 
foreboded, did not come to pass. For Captain Ball, with 
more decision than Nelson himself would have shown at 
that time and upon that occasion, ventured upon a reso¬ 
lute measure, for which his name would deserve always 
to be held in veneration by the Maltese, even if it had no 
other claims to the love and reverence of a grateful peo¬ 
ple. Finding it hopeless longer to look for succor or 
common humanity from the deceitful and infatuated 
court of Sicily, which persisted in prohibiting, by san¬ 
guinary edicts, the exportation of supplies, at his own 
risk he sent his First Lieutenant to the port of Messina, 
with orders to seize, and bring with him to Malta, the 
ships which were there lying laden with corn,—of the 
number of which he had received accurate information. 
These orders were executed to the great delight and ad¬ 
vantage of the shipowners and proprietors; the necessity 
of raising the siege was removed, and Captain Ball waited 
in calmness for the consequences to himself. ‘ ‘ But, ’ ’ said 
Mr. Coleridge, 1 “not a complaint, not a murmur, pro- 

1. Mr. Coleridge. The poet, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, while voyag- 



236 


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ceeded from the court of Naples: the sole result was, 
that the governor of Malta became an especial object of 
its hatred, its fear, and its respect.” 

Nelson himself, at the beginning of February, sailed 
for that island. On the way he fell in with a French 
squadron bound for its relief, and consisting of the 
Genereuxy seventy-four, three frigates, and a corvette. 
One of these frigates and the line of battle ship were 
taken; the others escaped, but failed in their purpose of 
reaching La Valette. This success was peculiarly grati¬ 
fying to Nelson, for many reasons. During some months 
he had acted as Commander-in-Chief in the Mediter¬ 
ranean, while Lord Keith was in England. Lord Keith 
was now returned, and Nelson had, upon his own plan 
and at his own risk, left him, to sail for Malta; “for 
which,” said he, “if I had not succeeded, I might have 
been broke; 1 and if I had not acted thus, the Genereux 
never would have been taken.” This ship was one of 
those which had escaped from Aboukir. Two frigates 
and the Guillaume Tell, eighty-six, were all that now 
remained of the fleet which Bonaparte had conducted to 
Egypt. The Guillaume Tell was at this time closely 
watched in the harbor of La Valetta; and shortly after¬ 
wards, attempting to make her escape from thence, was 
taken, after an action in which greater skill was never 
displayed by British ships, 2 nor greater gallantry by an 

in ttie STediterranean* for'ITls health^ was appointor! by Captain Ball 
‘Public Secretary for Malta and its Dependencies,” and held the posi¬ 
tion fur over a year, 1804 1805. 

1. Broke. Degraded in rank, or dismissed from the service. Nelson 
(vas guilty of no disobedience at this time, but in the preceding sum¬ 
mer he had been reprimanded by the Admiralty for remaining off 
Sicily contrary to Keith’s urgent and repeated orders. 

2. Skill . . . displayed by British ships. As the Guillaume Tell 

ran out of the harbor, she was pursued by tbe Penelope frigate. 
Captain Blackwood, which followed close in her wake, yawing to port 
nnd starboard, and keeping up a continual fire to attract other ships. 
The French vessel was later overpowered by the Lion and Foudroyant. 


The Life of Nelson 


237 


enemy. She was taken by the Foudroyant, Lion, and 
Penelope frigate. Nelson, rejoicing at what he called 
this glorious finish to the whole French Mediterranean 
fleet, rejoiced also that he was not present to have taken 
a sprig of these brave men’s laurels. ‘ ‘ They are, ’’ said 
he, ‘ ‘ and I glory in them, my children; they served in my 
school; and all of us caught our professional zeal and fire 
from the great and good Earl St. Vincent. What a 
pleasure, what happiness, to have the Nile fleet all taken 
under my orders and regulations!” The two frigates 
still remained in La Valetta: before its surrender they 
stole out: one was taken in the attempt; the other was 
the only ship of the whole fleet which escaped capture or 
destruction. 

Letters were found on board the Guillaume Tell show¬ 
ing that the French were now becoming hopeless of pre¬ 
serving the conquest which they had so foully acquired. 
Troubridge and his brother officers were anxious that 
Nelson should have the honor of signing the capitulation. 
They told him that they absolutely, as far as they dared, 
insisted on his staying to do this; but their earnest and 
affectionate entreaties were vain. Sir William Hamilton 
had just been superseded; Nelson had no feeling of cor¬ 
diality towards Lord Keith; and thinking that, after 
Earl St. Vincent, no man had so good a claim to the com¬ 
mand in the Mediterranean as himself, he applied for 
permission to return to England; telling the First Lord 
of the Admiralty, that his spirit could not submit pa¬ 
tiently, and that he was a broken-hearted man. From 
the time of his return from Egypt, amid all the honors 
which were showered upon him, he had suffered many 
mortifications. Sir Sidney Smith had been sent to Egypt, 
with orders to take under his command the squadron 
which Nelson had left there. Sir Sidney appears to have 
thought that this command was to be independent of 


238 


The Life of Nelson 


Nelson i 1 and Nelson himself thinking so, determined to 
return, saying to Earl St. Vincent, “ I do feel, for I am a 
man, that it is impossible for me to serve in these seas 
with a squadron under a junior officer.” Earl St. Vin¬ 
cent seems to have dissuaded him from this resolution: 
some heart-burnings, however, still remained, and some 
incautious expressions of Sir Sidney’s were noticed by 
him in terms of evident displeasure. But this did not 
continue long, as no man bore more willing testimony 
than Nelson to the admirable defense of Acre. 2 

He differed from Sir Sidney as to the policy which 
ought to be pursued towards the French in Egypt; and 
strictly commanded him, in the strongest language, not, 
on any pretence, to permit a single Frenchman to leave 
the country, saying that he considered it nothing short 
of madness to permit that band of thieves to return to 
Europe. “No,” said he, “to Egypt they went with their 
own consent, and there they shall remain, while Nelson 
commands this squadron; for never, never, will he con¬ 
sent to the return of one ship or Frenchman. I wish 
them to perish in Egypt, and give an awful lesson to the 
world of the justice of the Almighty.” If Nelson had 
not thoroughly understood the character of the enemy 
against whom he was engaged, their conduct in Egypt 
would have disclosed it. After the battle of the Nile, he 
had landed all his prisoners, upon a solemn engagement, 


1. Independent of Nelson. As commander of the eastern squadron 
Smith was subordinate to Nelson, but as envoy to Turkey (a duty 
Included in his commission) he was independent or even superior. 
Nelson carefully discriminated between Smith the diplomat and Smith 
the officer. “I beg your excellency," he wrote to the former, “to 
forward my letter to Sir Sidney Smith, Captain of the Tigre.”— 
Mahan, Life of Nelson, Vol. I, p. 402. 

2. Defense of Acre, Napoleon’s defeat at Acre, on the coast of 
Palestine, was due chiefly to the previous capture of French supply 
ships by the British fleet, and to Smith’s able leadership of the Turkish 
garrison. 


The Life of Nelson 


239 


made between Troubridge on one side and Captain Barre 
on the other, that none of them should serve till regu¬ 
larly exchanged. They were no sooner on shore than part 
of them were drafted into the different regiments, and 
the remainder formed into a corps called the nautic 
legion. This occasioned Captain Hallowell to say that 
the French had forfeited all claim to respect from us. 
“The army of Bonaparte,” said he, “are entirely desti¬ 
tute of every principle of honor: they have always acted 
like licentious thieves.” Bonaparte’s escape 1 was the 
more regretted by Nelson, because, if he had had suffi¬ 
cient force, he thought it would certainly have been pre¬ 
vented. He wished to keep ships upon the watch to inter¬ 
cept anything coming from Egypt; but the Admiralty 
calculated upon the assistance of the Russian fleet, which 
failed when it was most wanted. The ships which should 
have been thus employed were then required for more 
pressing services, and the bloody Corsican was thus en¬ 
abled to reach Europe in safety, there to become the 
guilty instrument of a wider-spreading destruction than 
any with which the world had ever before been visited. 

Nelson had other causes of chagrin. Earl St. Vincent, 
for whom he felt such high respect, and whom Sir John 
Orde had challenged for having nominated Nelson in¬ 
stead of himself to the command of the Nile squadron, 
laid claim to prize-money, as Commander-in-Chief, after 
he had quitted the station. The point was contested, 
and decided against him. 2 Nelson, perhaps, felt this the 
more, because his own feelings, with regard to money, 
were so different. An opinion had been given by Dr. 
Lawrence, which would have excluded the junior flag 

1. Bonaparte’s escape. Napoleon left Alexandria secretly In ^ 
frigate, reaching France October 9, 1799. 

2. Against him. Against Nelson, who had contested the Earl’s 
claims. In 1803 the decision was reversed, Nelson receiving £13,000. 


240 


The Life of Nelson 


officers from prize-money. When this was made known 
to him, his reply was in these words: “Notwithstanding 
Dr. Lawrence’s opinion, I do not believe I have any right 
to exclude the junior flag officers: and if I have, I desire 
that no such claim may be made: no, not if it were sixty 
times the sum, and, poor as I am, I were never to see 
prize-money. ’ ’ 

A ship could not be spared to convey him to England; 
he, therefore, traveled through Germany to Hamburg, 
in company with his inseparable friends, Sir William and 
Lady Hamilton. The Queen of Naples went with them 
to Vienna. While they were at Leghorn, upon a report 
that the French were approaching (for, through the folly 
of weak courts, and the treachery of venal cabinets, they 
had now recovered their ascendancy in Italy), the people 
rose tumultuously, and would fain have persuaded Nelson 
to lead them against the enemy. Public honors, and yet 
more gratifying testimonials of public admiration, 
awaited Nelson wherever he went. The Prince of Ester- 
hazy entertained him in a style of Hungarian magnifi¬ 
cence—a hundred grenadiers, each six feet in height, 
constantly waiting at table. At Magdeburgh, the master 
of the hotel where he was entertained contrived to show 
him for money;—admitting the curious to mount a lad¬ 
der, and peep at him through a small window. A wine- 
merchant at Hamburg, who was above seventy years of 
age, requested to speak with Lady Hamilton; and told 
her he had some Rhenish wine, of the vintage of 1625, 
which had been in his own possession more than half a 
century: he had preserved it for some extraordinary oc¬ 
casion ; and that which had now arrived was far beyond 
any that he could ever have expected. His request was, 
that her ladyship would prevail upon Lord Nelson to 
accept six dozen of this incomparable wine: part of it 
would then have the honor to flow into the heart’s blood 


The Life of Nelson 


241 


of that immortal hero; and this thought would make him 
happy during the remainder of his life. Nelson, when 
this singular request was reported to him, went into the 
room, and taking the worthy old gentleman kindly by 
the hand, consented to receive six bottles, provided the 
donor would dine with him next day. Twelve were sent; 
and Nelson, saying that he hoped yet to win half a dozen 
more great victories, promised to lay by six bottles of his 
Hamburg friend’s wine for the purpose of drinking one 
after each.—A German pastor, between seventy and 
eighty years of age, traveled forty miles, with the Bible 
of his parish church, to request that Nelson would write 
his name on the first leaf of it. He called him the sav¬ 
iour of the Christian world. The old man’s hope de¬ 
ceived him. There was no Nelson upon shore, or Europe 
would have been saved; but, in his foresight of the hor¬ 
rors with which all Germany and all Christendom were 
threatened by France, the pastor could not possibly have 
anprehended more than has actually taken place. 


CHAPTER VII 


Nelson separates liimself from his wife—Northern Confederacy— 
tie goes to the Baltic under Sir Hyde Parker—Battle of Copen¬ 
hagen, and subsequent Negotiation—Nelson is made a Viscount. 

Nelson was welcomed in England with every mark of 
popular honor. At Yarmouth, where he landed, every 
ship in the harbor hoisted her colors. The mayor and 
corporation waited upon him wdtli the freedom of the 
town, and accompanied him in procession to church, with 
all the naval officers on shore, and the principal inhabi¬ 
tants. Bonfires and illuminations concluded the day; 
and, on the morrow, the volunteer cavalry drew up and 
saluted him as he departed, and followed the carriage to 
the borders of the county. At Ipswich, the people came 
out to meet him, drew him a mile into the town, and three 
miles out. When he was in the Agamemnon, he wished to 
represent this place in Parliament, and some of his 
friends had consulted the leading men of the corpora¬ 
tion ; the result was not successful: and Nelson observing, 
that he would endeavor to find out a preferable path into 
Parliament, said there might come a time when the peo¬ 
ple of Ipswich would think it an honor to have had him 
for their representative. In London, he was feasted by 
the city, drawn by the populace from Ludgate-liill to 
Guildhall, and received the thanks of the Common Coun¬ 
cil for his great victory, and a golden-hilted sword 
studded with diamonds. Nelson had every earthly bless¬ 
ing, except domestic happiness: he had forfeited that 
forever. Before he had been three months in England, 
he separated from Lady Nelson. Some of his last words 
to Her were: “I call God to witness, there is nothing in 


The Life of Nelson 


243 


you, or your conduct, that I wish otherwise.” This was 
the consequence of his infatuated attachment to Lady 
Hamilton. It had before caused a quarrel with his son- 
in-law, and occasioned remonstrances from his truest 
friends; which produced no other effect than that of mak¬ 
ing him displeased with them, and more dissatisfied with 
himself. 

The Addington Administration 1 was just at this time 
formed; and Nelson, who had solicited employment, and 
been made Vice-Admiral of the Blue, was sent to the 
Baltic as second in command, under Sir Hyde Parker, by 
Earl St. Vincent, the new First Lord of the Admiralty. 
The three Northern Courts had formed a confederacy for 
making England resign her naval rights. 2 Of these courts 
Russia was guided by the passions of its Emperor, Paul, a 
man not without fits of generosity, and some natural 
goodness, but subject to the wildest humors of caprice, 
and crazed by the possession of greater power than can 
ever be safely, or perhaps innocently, possessed by weak 
humanity. Denmark was French at heart; ready to co¬ 
operate in all the views of France, to recognize all her 
usurpations, and obey all her injunctions. Sweden, 
under a king whose principles were right, and whose feel¬ 
ings were generous, but who had a taint of hereditary 
insanity, acted in acquiescence with the dictates of two 

powers whom it feared to offend. The Danish Navy, 

\ 1 

1. The Addington Administration. Henry Addington, afterward Vis¬ 
count Sidmouth, was premier from 1S01 to 1804. 

2. Naval rights. For the first “League of Armed Neutrality,” see 
p. 50, and note. The second league, formed by Denmark, Sweden 
and Russia, and encouraged by a secret understanding between the 
Czar and Napoleon, aimed to resist England's attempts to hold up 
naval stores and other goods bound for France from the Baltic. It 
stood for the principles that belligerent property is protected by a 
neutral flag, that a blockade to be binding must be maintained by an 
adequate force, and that goods to be regarded as contraband must be 
so designated in agreements prior to the outbreak of hostilities. 


244 


The Life of Nelson 


at this time, consisted of twenty-three ships of the line, 
with about thirty-one frigates and smaller vessels, exclu¬ 
sive of guard ships. The Swedes had eighteen ships of 
the line, fourteen frigates and sloops, seventy-four gal¬ 
leys and smaller vessels, besides gun boats; and this force 
was in a far better state of equipment than the Danish. 
The Russians had eighty-two sail of the line and forty 
frigates. Of these, there were forty-seven sail of the line 
at Cronstadt, Revel, Petersburg, and Archangel: but the 
Russian fleet was ill manned, ill officered, and ill equipped. 
Such a combination, under the influence of France, 
would soon have become formidable; and never did the 
British cabinet display more decision than in instantly 
preparing to crush it. They erred, however, in permit¬ 
ting any petty consideration to prevent them from ap¬ 
pointing Nelson to the command. The public properly 
murmured at seeing it entrusted to another: and he him¬ 
self said to Earl St. Vincent, that, circumstanced as he 
was, this expedition would probably be the last service 
that he should ever perform. The Earl, in reply, be¬ 
sought him, for God’s sake, not to suffer himself to be 
carried away by any sudden impulse. 

The season happened to be unusually favorable; so 
mild a winter had not been known in the Baltic for many 
years. When Nelson joined the fleet at Yarmouth, he 
found the Admiral “a little nervous about dark nights 
and fields of ice.”—“But we must brace up,” said he, 
“these are not times for nervous systems.—I hope we 
shall give our northern enemies that hailstorm of bullets, 
which gives our dear country the dominion of the sea. 
We have it, and all the devils in the north cannot take it 
from us, if our wooden walls 1 have fair play.” Before 

1. Wooden walls. At the time of the Persian invasions, the Delphic 
Oracle pronounced that the safety of Athens lay in “wooden walls.” 
Themistocles, interpreting this to mean ships, gathered a fleet and 
defeated the Persians at Salamis. 


The Life of Nelson 


245 


the fleet left Yarmouth, it was sufficiently known that its 
destination was against Denmark. Some Danes, who be¬ 
longed to the Amazon frigate, went to Captain Riou, and 
telling him what they had heard, begged that he would 
get them exchanged into a ship bound on some other 
destination. “They had no wish,” they said, “to quit 
the British service; but they entreated that they might 
not be forced to fight against their own country. ’ ’ There 
was not in our whole navy a man who had a higher and 
more chivalrous sense of duty than Riou. Tears came 
into his eyes while the men were speaking: without mak¬ 
ing any reply, he instantly ordered his boat, and did not 
return to the Amazon until he could tell them that their 
wish was effected. 

The fleet sailed on the 12th of March. Mr. Vansittart 1 
sailed in it; the British cabinet still hoping to obtain its 
end by negotiation. It was well for England that Sir 
Hyde Parker placed a fuller confidence in Nelson than 
the Government seems to have done at this most impor^ 
tant crisis. Her enemies might well have been astonished 
at learning, that any other man should for a momenl 
have been thought of for the command. But so little 
deference was paid, even at this time, to his intuitive 
and all-commanding genius, that when the fleet had 
reached its first rendezvous, at the entrance of the Catte- 
gat, he had received no official communication whatever 
of the intended operations. His own mind had been made 
up upon them with its accustomed decision. “All I have 
gathered of our first plans,” said he, “I disapprove most 
exceedingly. Honor may arise from them; good cannot. 
I hear we are likely to anchor outside of Cronenburgh 
Castle, instead of Copenhagen, which would give weight 
to our negotiation. A Danish minister would think twice 

1. Mr. Vansittart. Nicholas Vansittart, afterward Baron Bexley, 
sent as a diplomatic agent with the fleet. 


24G 


The Life of Nelson 


before lie would put his name to war with England, when 
the next moment he would probably see his master’s fleet 
in flames, and his capital in ruins. The Dane should see 
our flag every moment he lifted up his head. ’ ’ 

Mr Vansittart left the fleet at the Scaw, 1 and preceded 
it in a frigate, with a flag of truce. Precious time was 
lost by this delay, which was to be purchased by the dear¬ 
est blood of Britain and Denmark: according to the 
Danes themselves, the intelligence that a British fleet was 
seen off the Sound produced a much more general alarm 
in Copenhagen than its actual arrival in the roads; for 
their means of defense were, at that time, in such a state, 
that they could hardly hope to resist, still less to repel, 
an enemy. On the 21st, Nelson had a long conference 
with Sir Hyde; and the next day addressed a letter to 
him, worthy of himself and of the occasion. Mr. Van¬ 
sittart’s report had then been received. It represented 
the Danish government as in the highest degree hostile; 
and their state of preparation as exceeding what our cab¬ 
inet had supposed possible; for Denmark had profited, 
with all activity, of the leisure which had so impoliticly 
been given her. “The more I have reflected,” said Nel¬ 
son to his commander, “the more I am confirmed in 
opinion, that not a moment should be lost in attacking the 
enemy. They will every day and every hour be stronger: 
we shall never be so good a match for them as at this 
moment. The only consideration is, how to get at them 
with the least risk to our ships.—Here you are, with 
almost the safety, certainly with the honor, of England, 
more entrusted to you than ever yet fell to the lot of any 
British officer. On your decision depends whether our 
country shall be degraded in the eyes of Europe, or 
whether she shall rear her head higher than ever. Again, 
1 do repeat, never did our country depend so much upon 

1. The Scaic. Cape Skagen, the northernmost point of Denmark. 


The Life of Nelson 


247 


the success of any fleet as on this. How best to honor 
her, and abate the pride of her enemies, must be the 
subject of your deepest consideration.” 

Supposing him to force the passage of the Sound, Nel¬ 
son thought some damage might be done among the masts 
and yards; though, perhaps, not one of them but would be 
serviceable again. “If the wind be fair,” said he, “and 
you determine to attack the ships and Crown Islands, 
you must expect the natural issue of such a battle— 
ships crippled, and, perhaps, one or two lost; for the 
wind which carries you in will most probably not bring 
out a crippled ship. This mode I call taking the bull by 
the horns. It, however, will not prevent the Revel ships, 
or the Swedes, from joining the Danes: and to prevent 
this, is, in my humble opinion, a measure absolutely neces¬ 
sary; and still to attack Copenhagen.” For this he pro¬ 
posed two modes. One was, to pass Cronenburgh, taking 
the risk of danger; take the deepest and straightest chan¬ 
nel along the Middle Grounds; and then, coming down 
the Garbar, or King’s Channel, attack the Danish line of 
floating batteries and ships, as might be found convenient. 
This would prevent a junction, and might give an oppor¬ 
tunity of bombarding Copenhagen. Or to take the pas¬ 
sage of the Belt, 1 which might be accomplished in four or 
five days; and then the attack by Draco might be made, 
and the junction of the Russians prevented. Supposing 
them through the Belt, he proposed that a detachment of 
the fleet should be sent to destroy the Russian squadron 
at Revel; and that the business at Copenhagen should be 

1. The Belt. Of the two proposed methods of approaching Copen¬ 
hagen, one was the direct route through the Sound, past the city of 
Elsinore with its fortified castle of Cronenburgh, and north of the 
large island of Zeeland on which Copenhagen is situated. The other 
was through the Great Belt, a broad, shallower passage south of 
Zeeland. By this route Copenhagen could be attacked from the east¬ 
ward. past the town of Draco, or Pragor. 


248 


The Life of Nelson 


attempted with the remainder. ‘‘The measure,” he said, 
“might be thought bold; but the boldest measures are 
the safest.” 1 

The pilots, as men who had nothing but safety to think 
of, were terrified by the formidable report of the batteries 
of Elsinore, and the tremendous preparations which our 
negotiators, who were now returned from their fruitless 
mission, had witnessed. They, therefore, persuaded Sir 
Hyde to prefer the passage of the Belt. “Let it be by 
the Sound, by the Belt, or anyhow,” cried Nelson, “only 
lose not an hour!” On the 26th they sailed for the Belt: 
such was the habitual reserve of Sir Hyde that his own 
captain—the captain of the fleet 2 —did not know which 
course he had resolved to take till the fleet were getting 
under weigh. When Captain Domett w T as thus apprised 
of it, he felt it his duty to represent to the Admiral his 
belief that, if that course were persevered in, the ultimate 
object would be totally defeated: it was liable to long de¬ 
lays, and to accidents of ships grounding; in the whole 
fleet there were only one captain and one pilot who knew 
anything of this formidable passage (as it was then 

1. Boldest measures are the safest. The sentiments of Farker and 
the instructions of the Government, according to a later letter of 
Nelson’s, were “to stay in the Cattegat, and there wait the time when 
the whole naval force of the Baltic might choose to come out and fight.” 
Nelson by his prestige and boldness of spirit dominated the council, 
compelled active measures, and thus placed the fleet without delay in 
an effective strategic position between the forces of Denmark and 
Russia, where it could prevent their union, and attack either in 
detail. The letter quoted in part in the text, and written immediately 
after the council, illustrates Nelson’s grasp of the broad political and 
strategical aspects of a naval campaign. According to Admiral Mahan 
(Influence of Rea Poicer on the French Revolution, Vol. II, p. 40; 
the plan of first attacking the Russian base at Revel, had it been 
adopted and carried to successful execution, “would have brought down 
the Baltic Confederacy with a crash that would have resounded 
throughout Europe.” 

2. Captain of the fleet. Commander of the flagship, and aide to the 
admiral in routine matters concerning the fleet. Ills duties were similar 
to those of a modern cliief-of-staff. 


The Life of Nelson 


249 


deemed), and their knowledge was very slight: their in¬ 
structions did not authorize them to attempt it:—suppos¬ 
ing them safe through the Belts, the heavy ships could not 
come over the Grounds to attack Copenhagen, and light 
vessels would have no effect on such a line of defense as 
had been prepared against them. Domett urged these 
reasons so forcibly that Sir Hyde’s opinion was shaken, 
and he consented to bring the fleet to, and send for Nelson 
on board. There can be little doubt but that the expedi¬ 
tion would have failed, if Captain Domett had not thus 
timely and earnestly given his advice.—Nelson entirely 
agreed with him; and it was finally determined to take 
the passage of the Sound, and the fleet returned to its 
former anchorage. 

The next day was more idly expended in despatching a 
flag of truce to the Governor of Cronenburgh Castle, to 
ask whether he had received orders to fire at the British 
fleet; as the Admiral must consider the first gun to be a 
declaration of war on the part of Denmark. A soldier¬ 
like and becoming answer was returned to this formality. 
The Governor said, that the British Minister had not been 
sent away from Copenhagen, but had obtained a passport 
at his own demand. He himself, as a soldier, could not 
meddle with politics: but he was not at liberty to suffer 
a fleet, of which the intention was not yet known, to 
approach the guns of the castle which he had the honor 
to command: and he requested, if the British Admiral 
should think proper to make any proposals to the King 
of Denmark, that he might be apprised of it before the 
fleet approached nearer. During this intercourse, a Dane, 
who came on board the commander’s ship, having occa¬ 
sion to express his business in writing, found the pen 
blunt; and, holding it up, sarcastically said, u lt your 
guns are not better pointed than your pens, you will make 
little impression on Copenhagen! ’ ’ 



250 


The Life of Nelson 


On that day intelligence reached the Admiral of the 
loss of one of his fleet, the Invincible, seventy-four, 
wrecked on a sand-bank, as she was coming out of Yar¬ 
mouth : 400 of her men perished in her. Nelson, who was 
now appointed to lead the van, shifted his flag to the Ele¬ 
phant, Captain Foley—a lighter ship than the St. George, 
and, therefore, fitter for the expected operations. The 
two following days were calm. Orders had been given to 
pass the Sound as soon as the wind would permit; and, on 
the afternoon of the 29th, the ships were cleared for 
action with an alacrity characteristic of British seamen. 
At daybreak, on the 30th, it blew a topsail breeze 1 from 
NAV. The signal was made, and the fleet moved on 
in order of battle; Nelson’s division in the van, Sir 
Hyde’s in the center, and Admiral Graves’ in the 
rear. 

Great actions, whether military or naval, have gener¬ 
ally given celebrity to the scenes from whence they are 
denominated; and thus petty villages, and capes, and 
bays, known only to the coasting trader, become asso¬ 
ciated with mighty deeds, and their names are made con¬ 
spicuous in the history of the world, Here, however, the 
scene was every way worthy of the drama. The political 
importance of the Sound is such, that grand objects are 
not needed there to impress the imagination, yet is the 
channel full of grand and interesting objects, both of art 
and nature. This passage, which Denmark had so long 
considered as the key of the Baltic, 2 is in its narrowest 
part, about three miles wide, and here the city of Elsinore 
is situated; except Copenhagen, the most flourishing of 
the Danish towns. Every vessel which passes lowers her 

1. Topsail breeze. A wind too strong to permit tlie use of any sails 
above the topsails. 

2. Key of the Baltic. A second outlet, of great strategic impor¬ 
tance. is now afforded by the Kiel Canal through the isthmus connect¬ 
ing Denmark and Germany. 


The Life of Nelson 


251 


topgallant-sails 1 and pays toll at Elsinore; a toll which 
is believed to have had its origin in the consent of the 
traders to that sea, Denmark taking upon itself the 
charge of constructing lighthouses and erecting signals 
to mark the shoals and rocks from the Cattegat to the 
Baltic, and they, on their part, agreeing that all ships 
should pass this way, in order that all might pay their 
shares: none from that time using the passage of the Belt; 
because it was not fitting that they, who enjoyed the 
benefit of the beacons in dark and stormy weather, should 
evade contributing to them in fair seasons and summer 
nights. Of late years about ten thousand vessels had 
annually paid this contribution in time of peace. Ad¬ 
joining Elsinore, and at the edge of the peninsular prom¬ 
ontory, upon the nearest point of land to the Swedish 
coast, stands Cronenburgh Castle, built after Tycho 
Brahe’s 2 design ; a magnificent pile—at once a palace, and 
fortress, and state-prison, with its spires and towers, and 
battlements and batteries. On the left of the strait is 
the old Swedish city of Helsinburg, at the foot and on 
the side of a hill. To the north of Helsinburg the shores 
are steep and rocky; they lower to the south, and the 
distant spires of Landscrona, Lund, and Malmoe, are 
seen in the flat country. The Danish shores consist partly 
of ridges of sand; but more frequently they are diversi¬ 
fied with corn-fields, meadows, slopes, and are covered 
with rich wood, and villages and villas, and summer pal¬ 
aces belonging to the King and the nobility, and denoting 
the vicinity of a great capital. The isles of Huen, Salt- 
holm, and Amak, appear in the widening channel; and, 

1. Lowers her topgallant-sails. A form of salute. The requirement 
of salute and tolls was discontinued in 1S29. 

2. Tycho Brahe (1546-1601). A great Danish astronomer. His ob¬ 
servatory was located on the island of Iluen (Ilveen) in the Sound, 
where he was visited by Janies I of England at the time of his mar¬ 
riage with Anne of Denmark. 


252 


The Life of Nelson 


at the distance of twenty miles from Elsinore, stands 
Copenhagen in full view; the best city of the north, and 
one of the finest capitals of Europe, visible, with its 
stately spires, far off. Amid these magnificent objects 
there are some which possess a peculiar interest from the 
recollections which they call forth. The isle of Huen, 
a lovely domain, about six miles in circumference, had 
been the munificent gift of Frederick the Second 1 to 
Tycho Brahe. Here most of his discoveries were made, 
and here the ruins are to be seen of his observatory, and 
of the mansion where he was visited by princes, and 
where, with a princely spirit, lie received and entertained 
all comers from all parts, and promoted science by his 
liberality as well as by his labors. Elsinore is a name 
familiar to English ears, being inseparably associated 
with Hamlet, and one of the noblest works of human 
genius. Cronenburgh had been the scene of deeper trag¬ 
edy. Here Queen Matilda 2 was confined, the victim of a 
foul and murderous court intrigue. Here, amid heart¬ 
breaking griefs, she found consolation in nursing her 
infant. Here she took her everlasting leave of that 
infant, when, by the interference of England, her own 
deliverance was obtained; and, as the ship bore her away 
from a country where the venial indiscretions of youth 
and unsuspicious gaiety had been so cruelly punished, 
upon these towers she fixed her eyes, and stood upon the 
deck, obstinately gazing toward them till the last speck 
had disappeared. 

The Sound being the only frequented entrance to the 
Baltic, the great Mediterranean of the North, few parts 
of the sea display so frequent a navigation. In the height 

1. Frederick the Second (1534-15SS). King of Denmark and Nor¬ 
way. 

2. Queen Matilda. Sister of George III of England and wife of 
Christian VII of Denmark. The marriage was annulled in 1772. 










The Life of Nelson 


253 


of the season not fewer than a hundred vessels pass every 
four-and-twenty hours, for many weeks in succession : but 
never had so busy or so splendid a scene been exhibited 
there as on this day, when the British fleet prepared to 
force that passage where, till now, all ships had vailed 1 
their top-sails to the flag of Denmark. The whole force 
consisted of fifty-one sail of various descriptions; of 
which sixteen were of the line. The greater part of the 
bomb and gun vessels took their stations off Cronenburgh 
Castle, to cover the fleet, while others on the larboard 
were ready to engage the Swedish shore. The Danes, hav¬ 
ing improved every moment which ill-timed negotiation 
and baffling weather gave them, had lined their shore with 
batteries; and as soon as the Monarch, which was the 
leading ship, came abreast of them, a fire was opened 
from about a hundred pieces of cannon and mortars; our 
light vessels immediately, in return, opened their fire 
upon the Castle. Here was all the pompous circumstance 
and exciting reality of war without its effects, for this 
ostentatious display was but a bloodless prelude to the 
wide and sweeping destruction which, was soon to follow. 
The enemy’s shot fell near enough to splash the water on 
board our ships: not relying upon any forbearance of the 
Swedes, they meant to have kept the mid-channel; but 
when they perceived that not a shot was fired from Hel- 
sinburg, and that no batteries were to be seen on the 
Swedish shore, they inclined to that side, so as completely 
to get out of reach of the Danish guns. The uninter¬ 
rupted blaze which was kept up from them till the fleet 


1. Vailed . Lowered as a salute or token of submission. England 
for centuries asserted sovereignty over a much wider expanse. Until 
1805 an Admiralty regulation required that “When any of His 
Majesty’s ships shall meet with the ships of any foreign power within 
His Majesty’s seas (which extend to Cape Finisterre) it is expected 
that the said foreign ships do strike their topsail and take in their 
flag, in acknowledgment of His Majesty’s sovereignty in those seas.” 


254 


The Life of Nelson 


had passed served only to exhilarate our sailors and af¬ 
ford them matter for jest, as the shot fell in showers a 
full cable’s length short of its destined aim. A few 
rounds were returned from some of our leading ships till 
they perceived its inutility:—this, however, occasioned 
the only bloodshed of the day, some of our men being 
killed and wounded by the bursting of a gun. As soon 
as the main body had passed, the gun-vessels followed, 
desisting from their bombardment, which had been as 
innocent as that of the enemy; and, about mid-day, the 
whole fleet anchored between the island of linen and 
Copenhagen. Sir Hyde, with Nelson, Admiral Graves, 
some of the senior captains, and the commanding officers 
of the artillery and the troops, then proceeded in a lugger 
to reconnoiter the enemy’s means of defense; a formida¬ 
ble line of ships, radeaus, pontoons, galleys, fire-ships, 
and gun-boats, flanked and supported by extensive bat¬ 
teries, and occupying from one extreme point to the other, 
an extent of nearly four miles. 

A council of war was held in'the afternoon. It was 
apparent that the Danes could not be attacked without 
great difficulty and risk; and some of the members of 
the council spoke of the number of the Swedes and Rus¬ 
sians whom they should afterwards have to engage, as a 
consideration which ought to be borne in mind. Nelson, 
who kept pacing the cabin, impatient as he ever was of 
anything which savored of irresolution, repeated^ said, 

‘ * The more numerous the better: I wish they were twice 
as many,—the easier the victory, depend on it.” The 
plan upon which he had determined, if ever it should be 
his fortune to bring a Baltic fleet to action, was to attack 
the head of their line and confuse their movements.— 
“Close with a Frenchman,” he used to say, “but out- 
maneuver a Russian.” He offered his services for the 
attack, requiring ten sail of the line, and the whole of the 


The Life of Nelson 


255 


smaller craft. Sir Hyde gave him two more line-of- 
battle ships than he asked, and left everything to his 
judgment. 

The enemy’s force was not the only, nor the greatest, 
obstacle with which the British fleet had to contend: 
there was another to be overcome before they could come 
in contact with it. The channel was little known and 
extremely intricate; all the buoys had been removed; and 
the Danes considered this difficulty as almost insuperable, 
thinking the channel impracticable for so large a fleet. 
Nelson himself saw the soundings made, and the buoys 
laid down, boating it upon this exhausting service, day 
and night, till it was effected. When this was done, he 
thanked God for having enabled him to get through this 
difficult part of his duty. ‘ ‘ It had worn him down, ’ ’ he 
said, ‘ 1 and was infinitely more grievous to him than any 
resistance which he could experience from the enemy.” 

At the first council of war, opinions inclined to an 
attack from the eastward: but the next day, the wind 
being southerly, after a second examination of the Danish 
position, it was determined to attack from the south, ap¬ 
proaching in the manner which Nelson had suggested in 
his first thoughts. On the morning of the 1st of April, 
the whole fleet removed to an anchorage within two 
leagues of the town, and off the N.W. end of the Middle 
Ground; a shoal lying exactly before the town, at about 
three-quarters of a mile’s distance, and extending along 
its whole sea-front. The King’s Channel, where there is 
deep water, is between this shoal and the town; and here 
the Danes had arranged their line of defense, as near the 
shore as possible; nineteen ships and floating batteries, 
flanked, at the end nearest the town, by the Crown Bat¬ 
teries, which were two artificial islands at the mouth of 
the harbor—most formidable works; the larger one hav¬ 
ing, by the Danish account, sixty-six guns; but, as Nelson 









256 


The Life of Nelson 


believed, eighty-eight. The fleet having anchored, Nel¬ 
son, with Rion, in the Amazon, made his last examination 
of the ground; and, about one o’clock, returning to his 
own ship, threw out the signal to weigh. It was received 
with a shout throughout the whole division; they weighed 
with a light and favorable wind: the narrow channel 
between the island of Saltholm and the Middle Ground 
had been accurately buoyed; the small craft pointed out 
the course distinctly; Riou led the way: the whole di¬ 
vision coasted along the outer edge of the shoal, doubled 
its south extremity, and anchored there off Draco Point, 
just as the darkness closed—the headmost of the enemy’s 
line not being more than two miles distant. The signal to 
prepare for action had been made early in the evening; 
and, as his own anchor dropped, Nelson called out, “I 
will fight them the moment I have a fair w T ind.” It had 
been agreed that Sir Hyde, with the remaining ships, 
should weigh on the following morning, at the same time 
as Nelson, to menace the Crown Batteries on his side, and 
the four ships of the line which lay at the entrance of the 
arsenal; and to cover our own disabled ships as they came 
out of action. 

The Danes, meantime, had not been idle: no sooner did 
the guns of Cronenburgh make it known to the whole city 
that all negotiation was at an end, that the British fleet 
was passing the Sound, and that the dispute between the 
two crowns must now be decided by arms, than a spirit 
displayed itself most honorable to the Danish character. 
All ranks offered themselves to the service of their coun¬ 
try; the University furnished a corps of twelve hundred 
youth, the flower of Denmark:—it was one of those emer¬ 
gencies in which little drilling or discipline is necessary 
to render courage available: they had nothing to learn 
but how to manage the guns, and were employed day and 
night in practicing them. When the movements of Nel- 




The Life of Nelson 


257 


son’s squadron were perceived, it was known when and 
where the attack was to be expected, and the line of de¬ 
fense was manned indiscriminately by soldiers, sailors, 
and citizens. Had not the whole attention of the Danes 
been directed to strengthen their own means of defense, 
they might most materially have annoyed the invading 
squadron, and, perhaps, frustrated the impending attack; 
for the British ships were crowded in an anchoring 
ground of little extent:—it was calm, so that mortar-boats 
might have acted against them to the utmost advantage; 
and they were within range of shells from Amak Island. 
A few fell among them; but the enemy soon ceased to 
fire. It was learned afterwards, that, fortunately for the 
fleet, the bed of the mortar had given way; and the Danes 
either could not get it replaced, or, in the darkness, lost 
the direction. 

This was an awful night for Copenhagen—far more so 
than for the British fleet, where the men were accustomed 
to battle and victory, and had none of those objects before 
their eyes which render death terrible. Nelson sat down 
to table with a large party of his officers; he was, as he 
was ever wont to be when on the eve of action, in high 
spirits, and drank to a leading 1 wind, and to the success 
of the morrow. After supper they returned to their 
respective ships, except Riou, who remained to arrange 
the order of battle with Nelson and Foley, and to draw 
up instructions: Hardy, meantime, went in a small boat 
to examine the channel between them and the enemy; 
approaching so near, that he sounded round their leading 
ship with a pole, lest the noise of throwing the lead should 
discover him. The incessant fatigue of body, as well as 
mind, which Nelson had undergone during the last three 
days, had so exhausted him, that he was earnestly urged 
to go to his cot; and his old servant, Allen, using that 

1. Leading. Fair, favorable. 


258 


The Life of Nelson 


kind of authority which long and affectionate services 
entitled and enabled him to assume on such occasions, 
insisted upon his complying. The cot was placed on the 
floor, and he continued to dictate from it. About eleven 
Hardy returned, and reported the practicability of the 
channel, and the depth of water up to the enemy’s line. 
About one, the orders were completed; and half-a-dozen 
clerks in the foremost cabin, proceeded to transcribe 
them: Nelson frequently calling out to them from his cot 
to hasten their work, for the wind was becoming fair. 
Instead of attempting to get a few hours of sleep, he was 
constantly receiving reports on this important point. At 
daybreak it was announced as becoming perfectly fair. 
The clerks finished their work about six. Nelson, who 
was already up, breakfasted, and made signal for all cap¬ 
tains. The land forces, and five hundred seamen, under 
Captain Fremantle and the Hon. Col. Stewart, were to 
storm the Crown Battery as soon as its fire should be 
silenced: and Riou—whom Nelson had never seen till this 
expedition, but whose worth he had instantly perceived, 
and appreciated as it deserved—had the Blanche and 
Alcmcne frigates, the Dart and Arrow sloops, and Zephyr 
and Otter fire-ships, given him, with a special command 
to act as circumstances might require:—every other ship 
had its station appointed. 

Between eight and nine, the pilots and masters were 
ordered on board the Admiral’s ship. The pilots were 
mostly men who had been mates in Baltic traders; and 
their hesitation about the bearing of the east end of the 
shoal, and the exact line of deep water, gave ominous 
warning of how little their knowledge was to be trusted. 
The signal for action had been made, the wind was fair— 
not a moment to be lost. Nelson urged them to be steady, 
—to be resolute, and to decide: but they wanted the only 
ground for steadiness and decision in such cases; and 





The Life of Nelson 


259 



April 2, 1801 

» BRITISH G> DANISH 

51-sail in all, 19 ships-of-the-line 

.16 ships-of-the-line 












260 


The Life of Nelson 


Nelson had reason to regret that he had not trusted to 
Hardy’s single report. This was one of the most painful 
moments of his life; and he always spoke of it with bit¬ 
terness. “I experienced in the Sound,” said he, “the 
misery of having the honor of our country entrusted to a 
set of pilots, who had no other thought than to keep the 
ships clear of danger, and their own silly heads clear of 
shot. Everybody knows what I must have suffered: and 
if any merit attaches itself to me, it was for combating 
the dangers of the shallows in defiance of them.” At 
length Mr. Bryerly, the master of the Bellona, declared 
that he was prepared to lead the fleet j 1 2 his judgment was 
acceded to by the rest: they returned to their ships; and, 
at half-past nine, the signal was made to weigh in 
succession. 

Captain Murray, in the Edgar, led the way; the Aga¬ 
memnon was next in order: but, on the first attempt to 
leave her anchorage, she could not weather the edge of 
the shoal; and Nelson had the grief to see his old ship, in 
which he had performed so many years’ gallant services, 
immovably aground, at a moment when her help was so 
greatly required. Signal was then made for the Polyphe¬ 
mus: and this change in the order of sailing was executed 
with the utmost promptitude : yet so much delay had thus 
been unavoidably occasioned, that the Edgar was for 
some time unsupported : and the Polyphemus , whose place 
should have been at the end of the enemy’s line, where 
their strength was the greatest, could get no farther than 
the beginning, owing to the difficulty of the channel: 
there she occupied, indeed, an efficient station, but one 
where her presence was less required. The Isis followed, 
with better fortune, and took her own berth/ The Bel- 

1. Lead the fleet. That Is, pilot it, shifting for the purpose to the 
foremost ship, the Edgar. 

2. Her own berth. Her proper station, as assigned in the order of battle. 





The Life of Nelson 


261 


Iona, Sir Thomas Boulden Thompson, kept too close on 
the starboard shoal, and grounded abreast of the outer 
ship of the enemy: this was the more vexatious, inasmuch 
as the wind was fair, the room ample, and three ships 
had led the way. The Russell, following the Bellona, 
grounded in like manner; both were within reach of shot; 
but their absence from their intended stations was se¬ 
verely felt. Each ship had been ordered to pass her 
leader on the starboard side, because the water was sup¬ 
posed to shoal on the larboard shore. Nelson, who came 
next after these two ships, thought they had kept too far 
on the starboard direction, and made signal for them to 
close with the enemy, not knowing that they were 
aground: but, when he perceived that they did not obey 
the signal, he ordered the Elephant’s helm to starboard, 1 
and went within these ships: thus quitting the appointed 
order of sailing, and guiding those which were to follow. 
The greater part of the fleet were probably, by this act 
of promptitude on his part, saved from going on shore. 
Each ship, as she arrived nearly opposite to her ap¬ 
pointed station, let her anchor go by the stern, and pre¬ 
sented her broadside to the Danes. The distance between 
each was about a half-cable. The action was fought 
nearly at the distance of a cable’s length from the enemy. 
This, which rendered its continuance so long, was owing 
to the ignorance and consequent indecision of the pilots. 
In pursuance of the same error which had led the Bellona 
and the Russell aground, they, when the lead was at a 
quarter less five, 2 refused to approach nearer, in dread 
of shoaling their water on the larboard shore: a fear alto¬ 
gether erroneous, for the water deepened up to the very 
side of the enemy’s line. 

1. Helm to starboard. Thus turning the ship in the opposite direc¬ 
tion, to the left. 

2. A quarter less five. Four fathoms and three quarters, or 28% feet. 


262 


The Life of Nelson 


At five minutes after ten the action began. The first 
half of our fleet was engaged in about half an hour; and, 
by half-past eleven, the battle became general. The plan 
of the attack had been complete: but seldom has any plan 
been more disconcerted by untoward accidents. Of 
twelve ships of the line, one was entirely useless, and two 
others in a situation where they could not render half the 
service which was required of them. Of the squadron of 
gun-brigs only one could get into action: the rest were 
prevented, by baffling currents, from weathering the 
eastern end of the shoal; and only two of the bomb- 
vessels could reach their station on the Middle Ground, 
and open their mortars on the arsenal, firing over both 
fleets. Kiou took the vacant station against the Crown 
Battery, with his frigates; attempting, with that unequal 
force, a service in which three sail of the line had been 
directed to assist. 

Nelson’s agitation had been extreme when he saw him¬ 
self, before the action began, deprived of a fourth part of 
his ships of the line; but no sooner was he in battle, where 
his squadron was received with the fire of more than a 
thousand guns, than, as if that artillery, like music, had 
driven away all care and painful thoughts, his counte¬ 
nance brightened; and as a bystander describes him, his 
conversation became joyous, animated, elevated, and de¬ 
lightful. The Commander-in-Chief, meantime, near 
enough to the scene of action to know the unfavorable 
accidents which had so materially weakened Nelson, and 
yet too distant to know the real state of the contending 
parties, suffered the most dreadful anxiety. To get to his 
assistance was impossible; both wind and current were 
against him Fear for the event, in such circumstances, 
would naturally preponderate in the bravest mind; and, 
at one o’clock, perceiving that, after three hours’ endur¬ 
ance, the enemy’s fire was unslackened, he began to de- 



The Life of Nelson 


263 


spair of success. ‘‘I will make the signal of recall,” said 
he to his captain, “for Nelson’s sake. If he is in a con¬ 
dition to continue the action successfully, he will disre¬ 
gard it; if he is not, it will be an excuse for his retreat, 
and no blame can be imputed to him,” Captain Domett 
urged him at least to delay the signal, till he could com¬ 
municate with Nelson; but, in Sir Hyde’s opinion, the 
danger was too pressing for delay:—“The fire,” he said, 
“was too hot for Nelson to oppose; a retreat he thought 
must be made—he was aware of the consequences to his 
own personal reputation, but it would be cowardly in 
him to leave Nelson to bear the whole shame of the failure, 
if shame it should be deemed.” Under a mistaken judg¬ 
ment,* therefore, but with this disinterested and generous 
feeling, he made the signal for retreat. 

Nelson was at this time, in all the excitement of action, 
pacing the quarter-deck. A shot through the mainmast 
knocked the splinters about; and he observed to one of his 
officers with a smile, “It is warm work; and this day may 
be the last to any of us at a moment: ’ ’—and then stop¬ 
ping short at the gang-way, added with emotion—“But, 
mark you! I would not be elsewhere for thousands. ’ ’ 
About this time the signal-lieutenant called out, that No. 
39 (the signal for discontinuing the action) was thrown 
out by the Commander-in-Chief. He continued to walk 
the deck, and appeared to take no notice of it. The signal- 
officer met him at*the next turn, and asked him if he 
should repeat it. “No,” he replied, “acknowledge it.” 1 
Presently he called after him to know if the signal for 

* I have great pleasure in rendering this justice to Sir Hyde Par¬ 
ker’s reasoning. This fact is here stated upon the highest and most 
unquestionable authority.— Southey’s 'Note. 

1. Acknowledge it. To acknowledge a signal is simply to hoist a 
flag showing that the signal has been understood ; to repeat it is to 
hoist the signal itself, thus transmitting the order to other ships. 
There is considerable evidence that Nelson understood the commander- 



264 


The Life of Nelson 


close action was still hoisted; and being answered in the 
affirmative, said, “Mind yon keep it so.” He now paced 
the deck, moving the stump of his lost arm in a manner 
which always indicated great emotion. “Do you know,” 
said he to Mr. Ferguson, “what is shown on board the 
Commander-in-Chief? No. 39!” Mr. Ferguson asked 
what that meant.—“Why, to leave off action!” Then, 
shrugging up his shoulders, he repeated the words— 
“Leave off action? Now, damn me if I do! You know, 
Foley,” turning to the Captain, “I have only one eye,—I 
have a right to be blind sometimes:”—and then, putting 
the glass to his blind eye, in that mood of mind which 
sports with bitterness, he exclaimed, “I really do not see 
the signal!” Presently he exclaimed, “Damn the signal! 
Keep mine for closer battle flying! That’s the way I an¬ 
swer such signals! Nail mine to the mast! ’ ’ Admiral 
Graves, who was so situated that he could not discern 
what was done on board the Elephant, disobeyed Sir 
Hyde’s signal in like manner: whether by a fortunate 
mistake, or by a like brave intention, has not been made 
known. The other ships of the line, looking only to Nel¬ 
son, continued the action. The signal, however, saved 
Riou’s little scpiadron, but did not save its heroic leader. 
This squadron, which was nearest the Commander-in - 
Chief, obeyed, and hauled off. It had suffered severely in 
its most unequal contest. For a long time the Amazon 
had been firing, enveloped in smoke, *when Riou desired 
his men to stand fast, and let the smoke clear off, that 
they might see what they were about. A fatal order; for 
the Danes then got clear sight of her from the batteries, 
and pointed their guns with such tremendous effect, that 
nothing but the signal for retreat saved this frigate from 

in-chief’s order was merely permissive, not mandatory, in which case 
the quarter-deck conversation on the Elephant may be taken as half- 
jocular. 





The Life of Nelson 


265 


destruction. “What will Nelson think of us?” was 
Riou’s mournful exclamation, when he unwillingly drew 
off. He had been wounded in the head by a splinter, and 
was sitting on a gun, encouraging his men, when, just 
as the Amazon showed her stern to the Trekroner Bat¬ 
tery, 1 his clerk was killed by his side; and another shot 
swept away several marines, who were hauling in the 
main brace. “Come, then my boys !” cried Riou, “let us 
die all together!” The words had scarcely been uttered 
before a raking shot cut him in two. Except it had been 
Nelson himself, the British navy could not have suffered 
a severer loss. 

The action continued along the line with unabated 
vigor on our side, and with the most determined resolu¬ 
tion on the part of the Danes. They fought to great ad¬ 
vantage, because most of the vessels in their line of 
defense were without masts: the few which had any 
standing had their top-masts struck, and the hulls could 
only be seen at intervals. The Isis must have been de¬ 
stroyed by the superior weight of her enemy’s fire, if 
Captain Inman in the Desiree frigate, had not judiciously 
taken a situation which enabled him to rake the Dane, and 
if the Polyphemus had not also relieved her. Both in 
the Bellona and the Isis many men were lost by the burst¬ 
ing of their guns. The former ship was about forty years 
old, and these guns were believed to be the same which 
she had first taken to sea: they were, probably, originally 
faulty, for the fragments were full of little air-holes. 
The Bellona lost seventy-five men; the Isis, one hundred 
and ten; the Monarch, two hundred and ten. She was, 
more than any other line of battle ship, exposed to the 
great battery: and supporting, at the same time, the 

1. Trekroner Battery. The larger of the Crown Batteries ; so called 
in reference to the three crowns of Denmark, Sweden, and Norway, 
once united. 



266 


The Life of Nelson 




united fire of the Holstein and the Zealand, her loss this 
day exceeded that of any single ship during the whole 
war. Amid the tremendous carnage in this vessel, some 
of the men displayed a singular instance of coolness: the 
pork and peas happened to be in the kettle; a shot 
knocked its contents about; they picked up the pieces, 
and ate and fought at the same time. 

The Prince Royal had taken his station upon one of the 
batteries, from whence he beheld the action, and issued 
his orders. Denmark had never been engaged in so ardu¬ 
ous a contest, and never did the Danes more nobly display 
their national courage:—a courage not more unhappily, 
than impoliticly, exerted in subserviency to the interests 
of France. Captain Thura, of the Indfoedsretten, fell 
early in the action; and all his officers, except one lieu¬ 
tenant and one marine officer, were either killed or 
wounded. In the confusion, the colors were either struck 
or shot away; but she was moored athwart one of the 
batteries in such a situation that the British made no at¬ 
tempt to board her; and a boat was despatched to the 
Prince, to inform him of her situation. He turned to 
those about him, and said, ‘ ‘ Gentlemen, Thura is killed; 
which of you will take the command ? ’ ’ Schroedersee, a 
captain who had lately resigned, on account of extreme 
ill health, answered, in a feeble voice, ‘ ‘ I will! ’ ’ and 
hastened on board. The crew, perceiving a new com¬ 
mander coming alongside, hoisted their colors again, and 
fired a broadside. Schroedersee, when he came on deck, 
found himself surrounded by the dead and wounded, 
and called to those in the boat to get quickly on board : 
a ball struck him at that moment. A lieutenant, who had 
accompanied him, then took the command, and continued 
to fight the ship. A youth of seventeen, by name Ville- 
moes, particularly distinguished himself on this memor¬ 
able day. He had volunteered to take the command of a 



The Life of Nelson 


• 267 


floating battery, which was a raft, consisting merely of 
a number of beams nailed together, with a flooring to 
support the guns: it was square, with a breastwork full 
of port-holes, and without masts, carrying 24 guns, and 
120 men. With this he got under the stern of the Ele¬ 
phant, below the reach of the stern-chasers; 1 and under 
a heavy fire of small arms from the marines, fought his 
raft, till the truce was announced, with such skill, as 
well as courage, as to excite Nelson’s warmest admiration. 

Between one and two the fire of the Danes slackened; 
about two it ceased from the greater part of their line, 
and some of their lighter ships were adrift. It was, how¬ 
ever, difficult to take possession of those which struck, 
because the batteries on Amak Island protected them; 
and because an irregular fire was kept up from the ships 
themselves as the boats approached. This arose from the 
nature of the action; the crews were continually rein¬ 
forced from the shore; and fresh men coming on board, 
did not inquire whether the flag had been struck, or, per¬ 
haps, did not heed it;—many, or most of them, never 
having been engaged in war before—knowing nothing, 
therefore, of its laws, and thinking only of defending 
their country to the last extremity. The Danbrog fired 
upon the Elephant’s boats in this manner, though her 
Commodore had removed her pendant and deserted her, 
though she had struck, and though she was in flames. 
After she had been abandoned by the Commodore, Braun 
fought her till he lost his right hand, and then Captain 
Lemming took the command. This unexpected renewal 
of her fire made the Elephant and Glatton renew theirs, 
till she was not only silenced, but nearly every man in 
the praams 2 ahead and astern of her was killed. When the 

1. Stcrn-cJiascrs. Guns mounted to fire astern. 

2. Praams. Floating batteries; praams is the Danish name for 
large flat-boats or scows. 


268 


The Life of Nelson 


smoke of their guns died away, she was seen drifting in 
flames before the wind, those of her crew who remained 
alive, and able to exert themselves, throwing themselves 
out of her port-holes. 

Captain Rothe commanded the Nyeborg praam; and, 
perceiving that she could not much longer be kept afloat, 
made for the inner road. As he passed the line, he found 
the Aggershnus praam in a more miserable condition than 
his own; her masts had all gone by the board, and she was 
on the point of sinking. Rothe made fast a cable to her 
stern, and towed her off: but he could get her no 
farther than a shoal, called Stubben, when she sunk; 
and soon after he had worked the Nyeborg up to the 
landing place, that vessel also sunk to her gunwale. 
Never did any vessel come out of action in a more 
dreadful plight. The stump of her foremast was the 
only stick standing; her cabin had been stove in; every 
gun, except a single one, was dismounted: and her 
deck was covered with shattered limbs and dead 
bodies. 

By half-past two the action had ceased along that part 
of the line which was astern of the Elephant, but not with 
the ships ahead and the Crown Batteries. Nelson, seeing 
the manner in which his boats were fired upon, when they 
went to take possession of the prizes, became angry, and 
said, he must either send on shore to have this irregular 
proceeding stopped, or send a fire-ship and burn them. 
Half the shot from the Trekroner, and from the batteries 
at Amak, at this time struck the surrendered ships, four 
of which had got close together; and the fire of the Eng¬ 
lish, in return, was equally, or even more, destructive 
to these poor devoted Danes. Nelson, who was as humane 
as he was brave, was shocked at this massacre, for such 
he called it: and, with a presence of mind peculiar to 
himself, and nevermore signally displayed than now, he 


The Life of Nelson 


269 


retired into the stern gallery, and wrote thus to the Crown 
Prince : ‘ ‘ Vice-Admiral Lord Nelson has been commanded 
to spare Denmark, when she no longer resists. The line 
of .defense which covered her shores has struck to the 
British flag; but if the firing is continued on the part of 
Denmark, he must set on fire all the prizes that he has 
taken, without having the power of saving the men who 
have so nobly defended them. The brave Danes are the 
brothers, and should never be the enemies, of the Eng¬ 
lish/’ A wafer 1 was given him, but he ordered a candle 
to be brought from the cockpit, and sealed the letter with 
wax, affixing a larger seal than he ordinarily used. 
“This,” said he, “is no time to appear hurried and in¬ 
formal.” Captain Sir Frederic Thesiger, who acted as 
his aide-de-camp, carried this letter with a flag of truce. 
Meantime the fire of the ships ahead, and the approach of 
the Ramillies and Defense, from Sir Hyde’s division, 
which had now worked near enough to alarm the enemy, 
though not to injure them, silenced the remainder of 
the Danish line to the eastward of the Trekroner. That 
battery, however, continued its fire. This formidable 
work, owing to the want of the ships which had been 
destined to attack it, and the inadequate force of Riou’s 
little squadron, was comparatively uninjured; towards 
the close of the action it had been manned with nearly 
fifteen hundred men, and the intention of storming it, 
for which every preparation had been made, was aban¬ 
doned as impracticable. 

During Thesiger’s absence, Nelson sent for Fremantle 
from the Ganges, and consulted with him and Foley, 
whether it was advisable to advance, with those ships 
which had sustained least damage, against the yet unin¬ 
jured part of the Danish line. They were decidedly of 
opinion, that the best thing which could be done was, 

1. Wafer. A thin disk of dried paste, used for sealing letters. 




270 


The Life of Nelson 


while the wind continued fair, to remove the fleet out of 
the intricate channel, from which it had to retreat. In 
somewhat more than half an hour after Thesiger had 
been despatched, the Danish Adjutant-General, Lind- 
holm, came bearing a flag of truce: upon which the 
Trekroner ceased to fire, and the action closed, after four 
hours ’ continuance. He brought an inquiry from the 
Prince, What was the object of Nelson’s note? The 
British Admiral wrote in reply: “Lord Nelson’s object 
in sending a flag of truce was humanity; he therefore 
consents that hostilities shall cease, and that the wounded 
Danes may be taken on shore. And Lord Nelson will 
take his prisoners out of the vessels, and burn or carry 
off his prizes as he shall think fit. Lord Nelson, with 
humble duty to his royal highness the Prince, will con¬ 
sider this the greatest victory he has ever gained, if it 
may be the cause of a happy reconciliation and union 
between his own most gracious sovereign and his majesty 
the King of Denmark.”—Sir Frederic Thesiger was de¬ 
spatched a second time with the reply; and the Danish 
Adjutant-General was referred to the Commander-in- 
Chief for a conference upon this overture. Lindholm 
assenting to this, proceeded to the London, which was 
riding at anchor full four miles off; and Nelson, losing 
not one of the critical moments which he had thus gained, 
made signal for his leading ships to weigh in succession: 
—they had the shoal to clear, they were much crippled, 
and their course was immediately under the guns of the 
Trekroner. 

The Monarch led the way. This ship had received six- 
and-twenty shot between wind and water. She had not a 
shroud standing; there was a double-headed shot 1 in the 
heart of her foremast, and the slightest wind would have 

1. Double-headed shot. Two shot Joined by a bar, for destroying 
spars and rigging. 




The Life of Nelson 


271 


sent every mast over her side.* The imminent danger 
from which Nelson had extricated himself soon became 
apparent; the Monarch touched immediately upon a 
shoal, over which she was pushed by the Ganges taking 
her amidships; the Glatton went clear; but the other two, 
the Defiance and the Elephant, grounded about a mile 
from the Trekroner, and there remained fixed, for many 
hours, in spite of all the exertions of their wearied crews. 
The Desiree frigate also, at the other end of the line, 
having gone toward the close of the action to assist the 
Bellona, became fast on the same shoal. Nelson left the 
Elephant, soon after she took the ground, to follow Lind- 
holm. The heat of action was over; and that kind of 
feeling, which the surrounding scene of havoc was so 
well fitted to produce, pressed heavily upon his exhausted 
spirits: the sky had suddenly become overcast; white 
flags were waving at the mast-heads of so many shattered 
ships:—the slaughter had ceased, but the grief was to 
come, for the account of the dead was not yet made up, 
and no man could tell for what friends he would have to 
mourn. The very silence which follows the cessation of 
such a battle becomes a weight upon the heart at first, 
rather than a relief; and though the work of mutual de¬ 
struction was at an end, the Danbrog was, at this time, 
drifting about in flames; presently she blew up, while our 
boats, which had put off in all directions to assist her, 
were endeavoring to pick up her devoted crew, few of 
whom could be saved. The fate of these men, after the 

* It would have been well if the fleet, before they went under the 
batteries, had left their spare spars moored out of reach of shot. 
Many would have been saved which were destroyed lying on the booms, 
and the hurt done by their splinters would have been saved also. Small 
craft could have towed them up when they were required ; and, after 
such an action, so many must necessarily be wanted, that, if those 
which were not in use were wounded, it might have rendered it im¬ 
possible to refit the ships.— Southey’s Note. 





272 


The Life of Nelson 


gallantry which they had displayed, particularly affected 
Nelson; for there was nothing in this action of that in¬ 
dignation against the enemy, and that impression of 
retributive justice, which at the Nile had given a sterner 
temper to his mind, and a sense of austere delight, in 
beholding the vengeance of which he was the appointed 
minister. The Danes were an honorable foe; they were 
of English mold as welt as English blood; and now that 
the battle had ceased, he regarded them rather as breth¬ 
ren than as enemies. There was another reflection also, 
which mingled with these melancholy thoughts, and pre¬ 
disposed him to receive them. He was not here master 
of his own movements, as at Egypt; he had won the day 
by disobeying his orders; and in so far as he had been 
successful, had convicted the Connnander-in-Chief of an 
error in judgment. “Well,” said he, as he left the 
Elephant, “I have fought contrary to orders, and I 
shall perhaps be hanged ! Never mind: let them ! ” 

This was the language of a man who, while he is giving 
utterance to an uneasy thought, clothes it half in jest, be¬ 
cause he half repents that it has been disclosed. His ser¬ 
vices had been too eminent on that day, his judgment too 
conspicuous, his success too signal, for any commander, 
however jealous of his own authority, or envious of an¬ 
other's merits, to express anything but satisfaction and 
gratitude, which Sir Hyde heartily felt and sincerely ex¬ 
pressed. It was speedily agreed'that there should be a 
suspension of hostilities for four-and-twenty hours; that 
all the prizes should be surrendered, and the wounded 
Danes carried on shore. There was a pressing necessity 
for this; for the Danes, either from too much confidence 
in the strength of their positions, and the difficulty of the 
channel; or, supposing that the wounded might be car¬ 
ried on shore during the action, which wns found totally 
impracticable; or. perhaps, from the confusion which the 


The Life of Nelson 


273 


attack excited, had provided no surgeons; so that, when 
our men boarded the captured ships, they found many of 
the mangled and mutilated Danes bleeding to death for 
want of proper assistance; a scene, of all others, the most 
shocking to a brave man’s feelings. 

The boats of Sir Hyde’s division were actively em¬ 
ployed all night in bringing out the prizes, and in getting 
afloat the ships which were on shore. At daybreak, Nel¬ 
son, who had slept in his own ship, the St. George, rowed 
to the Elephant, and his delight at finding her afloat 
seemed to give him new life. There he took a hasty 
breakfast, praising the men for their exertions, and then 
pushed off to the prizes which had not yet been removed. 
The Zealand, 74, the last which struck, had drifted on 
the shoal under the Trekroner; and relying, as it seems, 
upon the protection which that battery might have af¬ 
forded, refused to acknowdeclge herself captured, saying 
that, though it was true her flag was not to be seen, her 
pendant was still flying. Nelson ordered one of our 
brigs and three long-boats to approach her, and rowed 
up himself to one of the enemy’s ships, to communicate 
with the Commodore. This officer proved to be an old 
acquaintance, whom he had known in the West Indies; 
so he invited himself on board; and with that urbanity, 
as well as decision, which always characterized him, 
urged his claim to the Zealand so well, that it was ad¬ 
mitted. The men from the boats lashed a cable around 
her bowsprit, and the gun-vessel towed her away. It is 
affirmed, and probably with truth, that the Danes felt 
more pain at beholding this than at all their misfortunes 
on the preceding day; and one of the officers, Commodore 
Steen Bille, went to the Trekroner battery, and asked the 
commander why he had not sunk the Zealand, rather 
than suffer her thus to be carried off by the enemy ? 

This was, indeed, a mournful day for Copenhagen! It 


The Life of Nelson - 


4 ) 7 /< 

<L <± 

was Good Friday; but the general agitation, and the 
mourning which was in every house, made all distinction 
of days be forgotten. There were, at that hour, thou¬ 
sands in that city who felt, and more, perhaps, who 
needed, the consolations of Christianity; but few or none 
who could be calm enough to think of its observances. 
The English were actively employed in refitting their 
own ships, securing the prizes, and distributing the 
prisoners; the Danes, in carrying on shore and disposing 
of the wounded and the dead. It had been a murderous 
action. Our loss, in killed and wounded, was nine hun¬ 
dred and fifty-three. Part of the slaughter might have 
been spared. The commanding officer of the troops on 
board one of our ships asked where his men should be 
stationed ? He was told that they could be of no use; 
that they were not near enough for musketry, and were 
not wanted at the guns; they had, therefore, better go 
below. This, he said, was impossible—it would be a dis¬ 
grace that could never be wiped away. They were, there¬ 
fore, drawn up upon the gangway, to satisfy this cruel 
point of honor; and there, without the possibility of 
annoying the enemy, they were mowed down! The loss 
of the Danes, including prisoners, amounted to about 
six thousand. The negotiations, meantime, went on; and 
it was agreed that Nelson should have an interview with 
the Prince the following day. Hardy and Fremantle 
landed with him. This was a thing as unexampled as the 
other circumstances of the battle. A strong guard was 
appointed to escort him to the palace, as much for the 
purpose of security as of honor. The populace, accord¬ 
ing to the British account, showed a mixture of admira¬ 
tion, curiosity, and displeasure, at beholding that man 
in the midst of them who had inflicted such wounds upon 
Denmark. But there were neither acclamation nor mur¬ 
murs; “The people,” says a Dane, “did not degrade 


The Life of Nelson 


275 


themselves with the former, nor disgrace themselves with 
the latter: the Admiral was received as one brave enemy 
ever ought to receive another—he was received with 
respect.” The preliminaries of the negotiations were 
adjusted at this interview. During the repast which 
followed, Nelson, with all the sincerity of his character, 
bore willing testimony to the valor of his foes. He told 
the Prince that he had been in a hundred and five en¬ 
gagements, but that this was the most tremendous of all. 
‘ ‘ The French, ’ ’ he said, ‘ ‘ fought bravely; but they could 
not have stood for one hour the fight which the Danes had 
supported for four.” He requested that Villemoes might 
be introduced to him; and, shaking hands with the youth, 
told the Prince that he ought to be made an admiral. The 
Prince replied: “If, my lord, I am to make all my brave 
officers admirals, I should have no captains or lieutenants 
in my service.” 

The sympathy of the Danes for their countrymen who 
had bled in their defense was not weakened by distance 
of time or place in this instance. Things needful for the 
service or the comfort of the wounded were sent in pro¬ 
fusion to the hospitals, till the superintendents gave pub¬ 
lic notice that they could receive no more. On the third 
day after the action the dead were buried in the naval 
churchyard: the ceremony was made as public and as 
solemn as the occasion required; such a procession had 
never before been seen in that or, perhaps, in any other 
city. A public monument was erected upon the spot 
where the slain were gathered together. A subscription 
was opened on the day of the funeral for the relief of 
the sufferers, and collections in aid of it made throughout 
all the churches in the kingdom This appeal to the 
feelings of the people was made with circumstances which 
gave it full effect. A monument was raised in the midst 
of the church, surmounted by the Danish colors: young 


276 


The Life of Nelson 


maidens, dressed in white, stood around it, with either 
one who had been wounded in the battle, or the widow 
and orphans of some one who had fallen: a suitable oia 
tion was delivered from the pulpit, and patriotic hymns 
and songs were afterwards performed. Medals were dis¬ 
tributed to all the officers, and to the men who had dis¬ 
tinguished themselves. Poets and painters vied with 
each other in celebrating a battle which, disastrous as it 
was, had yet been honorable to their country: some, with 
pardonable sophistry, represented the advantage of the 
day as on their own side. One writer discovered a more 
curious, but less disputable, ground of satisfaction, in 
the reflection that Nelson, as may be inferred from his 
name, was of Danish descent, and his actions, therefore, 
the Dane argued, were attributable to Danish valor. 

The negotiation was continued during the five follow¬ 
ing days; and, in that interval, the prizes were disposed 
of, in a manner which was little approved by Nelson. 
Six line of battle ships and eight praams had been taken. 
Of these, the Ilolstein, 64, was the only one which was 
sent home. The Zealand was a finer ship: but the 
Zealand, and all the others, were burnt, and their brass 
battering cannon sunk with the hulls in such shoal water, 
that, when the fleet returned from Revel, they found the 
Danes with craft over the wrecks employed in getting 
the guns up again. Nelson, though he forebore from any 
public expression of displeasure at seeing the proofs and 
trophies of his victory destroyed, did not forget to repre¬ 
sent to the Admiralty the case of those who were thus 
deprived of their prize-money. “Whether,’ ’ said he to 
Earl St. Vincent, “Sir Hyde Parker may mention the 
subject to you, T know not; for he is rich, and does not 
want it: nor is it, you will believe me, any desire to get 
a few hundred pounds that actuates me to address this 
letter to you, but justice to the brave officers and men 


The Life of Nelson 


277 


who fought on that day. It is true our opponents were in 
hulks and floats, only adapted for the position they were 
in; but that made our battle so much the harder, and 
victory so much more difficult to obtain. Believe me, 
I have weighed all the circumstances; and, in my con¬ 
science, I think that the King should send a gracious mes¬ 
sage to the House of Commons for a gift to this fleet: for 
what must be the natural feelings of the officers and men 
belonging to it, to see their rich Commander-in-Chief 
burn all the fruits of their victory,—which, if fitted up 
and sent to England (as many of them might have been 
by dismantling part of our fleet), would have sold for a 
good round sum ? ’ ’ 

On the 9th, Nelson landed agaih, to conclude the terms 
of the armistice. During its continuance the armed 
ships and vessels of Denmark were to remain in their 
then actual situation, as to armament, equipment, and 
hostile position; and the treaty of armed neutrality, as 
far as related to the co-operation of Denmark, was sus¬ 
pended. The prisoners were to be sent on shore; ar ac¬ 
knowledgment being given for them, and for the wounded 
also, that they might be carried to Great Britain’s credit 
in the account of war, in case hostilities should be re¬ 
newed. The British fleet was allowed to provide itself 
with all things requisite for the health and comfort of its 
men. A difficulty arose respecting the duration of the 
armistice. The Danish commissioners fairly stated their 
fears of Russia; and Nelson, with that frankness which 
sound policy and the sense of power seem often to require 
as well as justify in diplomacy, told them his reason for 
demanding a long term was, that he might have time to 
act against the Russian fleet, and then return to Copen¬ 
hagen. Neither party would yield upon this point; and 
one of the Danes hinted at the renewal of hostilities. 
“Renew hostilities!” cried Nelson to one of his friends, 


278 


The Life of Nelson 


•—for he understood French enough to comprehend what 
was said, though not to answer it in the same language,— 
“tell him we are ready at a moment!—ready to bombard 
this very night!” The conference, however, proceeded 
amicably on both sides; and as the commissioners could 
not agree upon this head, they broke up, leaving Nelson 
to settle it with the Prince. A levee was held forthwith 
in one of the state-rooms; a scene well suited for such a 
consultation: for all these rooms had been stripped of 
their furniture, in fear of a bombardment. To a bom¬ 
bardment also Nelson was looking at this time: fatigue, 
and anxiety, and vexation at the dilatory measures of the 
Commander-in-Chief, combined to make him irritable: 
and as he was on the tvay to the Prince’s dining-room, 
he whispered to the officer on whose arm he was leaning, 
“Though I have only one eye, I can see that all this will 
burn well.” After dinner he was closeted with the 
Prince; and they agreed that the armistice should con¬ 
tinue fourteen weeks; and that, at its termination, four¬ 
teen days’ notice should be given before the recommence¬ 
ment of hostilities. 

An official account of the battle was published by 
Olfert Fischer, the Danish Commander-in-Chief, in which 
it was asserted that our force was greatly superior; 
nevertheless, that two of our ships of the line had struck, 
that the others were so weakened, and especially Lord 
Nelson’s own ship, as to fire only single shots for an hour 
before the end of the action; and that this hero himself, 
in the middle and very heat of the conflict, sent a flag 
of truce on shore to propose a cessation of hostilities. For 
the truth of this account the Dane appealed to the Prince, 
and all those who, like him, had been eye-witnesses of 
the scene. Nelson was exceedingly indignant at such a 
statement, and addressed a letter in confutation of it, 
to the Adjutant-General, Lindholm; thinking this in- 


The Life of Nelson 


279 


c.umbent upon him, for the information of the Prince, 
since his Royal Highness had been appealed to as a wit¬ 
ness: “Otherwise,” said he, “had Commodore Fischer 
confined himself to his own veracity, I should have 
treated his official letter with the contempt it deserved, 
and allowed the world to appreciate the merits of the 
two contending officers.” After pointing out and de¬ 
tecting some of the misstatements in the account, he 
proceeds: “As to his nonsense about victory, his Royal 
Highness will not much credit him. I sunk, burned, cap¬ 
tured, or drove into the harbor, the whole line of defense 
to the southward of the Crown Islands. He says he is 
told that two British ships struck. Why did he not take 
possession of them? I took possession of his as fast as 
they struck. The reason is clear, that he did not believe 
it: he must have known the falsity of the report.—lie 
states, that the ship in which I had the honor to hoist my 
flag fired latterly only single guns. It is true; for steady 
and cool were my brave 'fellows, and did not wish to 
throw away a single shot. He seems to exult that I sent 
on shore a flag of truce.—You know, and his Royal High¬ 
ness knows, that the guns fired from the shore could only 
fire through the Danish ships which had surrendered; 
and that, if I fired at the shore, it could only be in the 
same manner. God forbid that I should destroy an un¬ 
resisting Dane! When they became my prisoners, I be¬ 
came their protector.” 

This letter was written in terms of great asperity 
against the Danish commander. Lindholm replied in a 
manner every way honorable to himself. He vindicated 
the Commodore in some points, and excused him in 
others, reminding Nelson that every commander-in-chief 
was liable to receive incorrect reports. With a natural 
desire to represent the action in a most favorable light 
to Denmark, he took into the comparative strength of 



280 


The Life of Nelson 


the two parties the ships which were aground, and which 
could not get into action: and omitted the Trekroner and 
the batteries upon Amak Island. He disclaimed all idea 
of claiming as a victory, “what to every intent and pur¬ 
pose,” said he, “was a defeat,—but not an inglorious 
one. As to your lordship’s motive for sending a flag of 
truce, it never can be misconstrued; and your subsequent 
conduct has sufficiently shown that humanity is always 
the companion of true valor. You have done more: you 
have shown yourself a friend to the re-establishment of 
peace and good harmony between this country and Great 
Britain. It is, therefore, with the sincerest esteem I 
shall always feel myself attached to your lordship.” 
Thus handsomely winding up his reply, he soothed and 
contented Nelson; who, drawing up a memorandum of 
the comparative force of the two parties, for his own 
satisfaction, assured Lindholm, that if the Commodore’s 
statement had been in the same manly and honorable 
strain, he would have been the last man to have noticed 
any little inaccuracies which might get into a com¬ 
mander-in-chief’s public letter. 

For the battle of Copenhagen, Nelson was raised to the 
rank of Viscount: an inadequate mark of reward for ser¬ 
vices so splendid, and of such paramount importance 
to the dearest interests of England. There was, however, 
some prudence in dealing out honors to him step by step; 
had he lived long enough, he would have fought his way 
up to a Dukedom. 


CHAPTER VIII 


Sir Hyde Parker is recalled, and Nelson appointed Commander-^ 
He goes to Revel—Settlement of Affairs in the Baltic—Unsuccess* 
ful Attempt upon the Flotilla at Boulogne—Peace of Amiens—• 
Nelson takes the Command in the Mediterranean on the Renewal of 
the War—Escape of the Toulon Fleet—Nelson chases them to the 
West Indies, and back—Delivers up his Squadron to Admiral Corn* 
wallis, and lands in England. 

When Nelson informed Earl St. Vincent that the ar¬ 
mistice had been concluded, he told him also, without re¬ 
serve, his own discontent at the dilatoriness and inde¬ 
cision which he witnessed, and could not remedy. “No 
man,” said he, “but those who are on the spot, can tell 
what I have gone through, and do suffer. I make no 
scruple in saying, that I would have been at Revel 1 four¬ 
teen days ago! that, without this armistice, the fleet 
would never have gone, but by order of the Admiralty; 
and with it, I dare say, we shall not go this week. I 
wanted Sir Hyde to let me, at least, go and cruise off 
Carlscrona, 2 to prevent the Revel ships from getting in. 
I said I would not go to Revel to take any of those laurels 
which I was sure he would reap there. Think for me, 
my dear lord;—and if I have deserved well, let me re¬ 
turn : if ill, for Heaven ’s sake supersede me,—for I can¬ 
not exist in this state.” 

Fatigue, incessant anxiety, and a climate little suited 
to one of a tender constitution, which had now for many 
years been accustomed to more genial latitudes, made him, 
at this time, seriously determine upon returning home. 
“If the northern business were not settled,” he said, 

1. Revel. A Russian naval base on the southern coast of the Gulf 
of Finland. See p. 244. 

2. Carlscrona. A city on the southeastern coast of Sweden. 

281 



2S2 


The Life of Nelson 

i 

‘ ‘ they must send more admirals; for the keen air of the 
north had cut him to the heart. ’ ’ He felt the want of ac¬ 
tivity and decision in the Commander-in-Chief more 
keenly; and this affected his spirits, and consequently his 
health, more than the inclemency of the Baltic. Soon 
after the armistice was signed, Sir Hyde proceeded to 
the eastward, with such ships as were fit for service, leav¬ 
ing Nelson to follow with the rest, as soon as those which 
had received slight damages should be repaired, and the 
rest sent to England. In passing between the isles of 
Amak and Saltholm, most of the ships touched the 
ground, and some of them stuck fast for a while; no 
serious injury, however, was sustained. It was intended 
to act against the Russians first, before the breaking up 
of the frost should enable them to leave Revel; but, learn¬ 
ing on the way that the Swedes had put to sea to effect a 
junction with them, Sir Hyde altered his course, in hopes 
of intercepting this part of the enemy’s force. Nelson 
had, at this time, provided for the more pressing emerg¬ 
encies of the service, and prepared, on the 18th, to follow 
the fleet. The St. George drew too much water to pass 
the channel between the isles without being lightened: 
the guns were therefore taken out, and put on board an 
American vessel: a contrary wind, however, prevented 
Nelson from moving; and on that same evening, while he 
was thus delayed, information reached him of the relative 
situation of the Swedish and British fleets, and the prob¬ 
ability of an action. The fleet was nearly ten leagues 
distant; and both wmd and current contrary; but it was 
not possible that Nelson could wait for a favorable sea¬ 
son under such an expectation. He ordered his boat 
immediately and stepped into it. Night was setting in,— 
one of the cold spring nights of the north,—and it >vas 
discovered, soon after they had left the ship. that, in 
their haste, they had forgotten to provide him with a 


The Life of Nelson 


283 


boat-cloak. He, however, forbade them to return for 
one: and when one of his companions offered his own 
great-coat, and urged him to make use of it, he replied, 
“I thank you very much,—but, to tell you the truth, my 
anxiety keeps me sufficiently warm at present. ” 

“Do you think,” said he, presently, “that our fleet has 
quitted Bornholm ? If it has, we must follow it to Carls- 
crona.” About midnight he reached it, and once more 
got on board the Elephant. On the following morning 
the Swedes were discovered; as soon, however, as they 
perceived the English approaching, they retired, and 
took shelter in Carlscrona, behind the batteries on the 
island, at the entrance of that port. Sir Hyde sent in a 
flag of truce, stating that Denmark had concluded an 
armistice, and requiring an explicit declaration from the 
court of Sweden, whether it would adhere to, or abandon, 
the hostile measures which it had taken against the 
rights and interest of Great Britain ? The commander, 
Vice-Admiral Cronstadt, replied, “that he could not 
answer a question which did not come within the particu¬ 
lar circle of his duty; but that the King was then at 
Maloe, and would soon be at Carlscrona.” Gustavus 
shortly afterwards arrived, and an answer was then re¬ 
turned to this effect: “That his Swedish Majesty would 
not, for a moment, fail to fulfil, with fidelity and sincer¬ 
ity, the engagements he had entered into with his allies; 
but he would not refuse to listen to equitable proposals 
made by deputies furnished with proper authority by 
the King of Great Britain to the united Northern Pow¬ 
ers.” Satisfied with this answer, and with the known 
disposition of the Swedish court, Sir Hyde sailed for 
the Gulf of Finland; but he had not proceeded far be¬ 
fore a despatch boat, from the Russian Ambassador at 
Copenhagen, arrived, bringing intelligence of the death 
of the Emperor Paul; and that his successor, Alexander, 




284 


The Life of Nelson 


had accepted the offer made by England to his father, 
of terminating the dispute by a convention; the British 
Admiral was therefore required to desist from all further 
hostilities. 

It was Nelson’s maxim that, to negotiate with effect, 
force should be at hand, and in a situation to act. The 
fleet, having been reinforced from England, amounted to 
eighteen sail of the line; and the wind was fair for Revel. 
There he would have sailed immediately, to place himself 
between that division of the Russian fleet and the squad¬ 
ron at Cronstadt, in case this offer should prove insincere. 
Sir Hyde, on the other hand, believed that the death of 
Paul had effected all that was necessary. The manner of 
that death, 1 indeed, rendered it apparent that a change 
of policy would take place in the cabinet of Petersburg; 
but Nelson never trusted anything to the uncertain events 
of time which could possibly be secured by promptitude 
or resolution. It was not, therefore, without severe 
mortification that he saw the Commander-in-Chief re¬ 
turn to the coast of Zealand, and anchor in Kibge Bay, 
there to wait patiently for what might happen. 

There the fleet remained, till despatches arrived from 
home, on the 5th of May, recalling Sir Hyde, and ap¬ 
pointing Nelson Commander-in-Chief. 

Nelson wrote to Earl St. Vincent that he was unable to 
hold this honorable station. Admiral Graves also was so 
ill, as to be confined to his bed; and he entreated that 
some person might come out and take the command. “I 
will endeavor,” said he, ‘No do my best while I remain: 
but, my dear lord, I shall either soon go to heaven, I 
hope, or must rest quiet for a time. If Sir Hyde were 
gone, I would now be under sail.” On the day when this 
was written he received news of his appointment. Not 
a moment was now lost. His first signal, as Commander- 

1. Manner of that death. He was assassinated by conspirators. 



The Life of Nelson 


285 


in-Chief, was to hoist in all launches, and prepare to 
weigh: and on the 7th he sailed from Kioge. Part of his 
fleet was left at Bornholm to watch the Swedes: from 
whom he required, and obtained, an assurance, that the 
British trade in the Cattegat, and in the Baltic, should 
not be molested; and saying how unpleasant it would be 
to him if anything should happen which might, for a 
moment, disturb the returning harmony between Sweden 
and Great Britain, he apprised them that he was not 
directed to abstain from hostilities should he meet with 
the Swedish fleet at sea. Meantime he himself, with ten 
sail of the line, two frigates, a brig, and a schooner, made 
for the Gulf of Finland. Paul, in one of the freaks of 
his tyranny, had seized upon all the British effects in 
Russia, and even considered British subjects as his pris¬ 
oners. “I will have all the English shipping and prop¬ 
erty restored,” said Nelson, “but I will do nothing vio¬ 
lently,—neither commit the affairs of my country, nor 
suffer Russia to mix the affairs of Denmark or Sweden 
with the detention of our ships.” The wind was fair, 
and carried him in four days to Revel Roads. But the 
bay had been clear of firm ice on the 29th of April, while 
the English were lying idly at Kioge. The Russians had 
cut through the ice in the mole six feet thick, and their 
whole squadron had sailed for Cronstadt on the 3d. 
Before that time it had lain at the mercy of the English. 
—“Nothing,” Nelson said, “if it had been right to make 
the attack, could have saved one ship of them in two 
hours after our entering the bay.” 

It so happened that there was no cause to regret the 
opportunity which had been lost, and Nelson immediately 
put the intentions of Russia to the proof. ITe sent on 
shore to say, that he came with friendly views, and was 
ready to return a salute. On their part the salute was de¬ 
layed, till a message was sent to them to inquire for what 


286 


The Life of Nelson 


reason: and the officer, whose neglect had occasioned the 
delay, was put under arrest. Nelson wrote to the Emperor, 
proposing to wait on him personally, and congratulate 
him on his accession, and urged the immediate release of 
British subjects, and restoration of British property. 

The answer arrived on the 16th : Nelson, meantime, had 
exchanged visits with the Governor, and the most friend¬ 
ly intercourse had subsisted between the ships and the 
shore. Alexander’s ministers, in their reply, expressed 
their surprise at the arrival of a British fleet in a Rus¬ 
sian port, and their wish that it should return: they 
professed, on the part of Russia, the most friendly dis¬ 
position towards Great Britain, but declined the personal 
visit of Lord Nelson, unless he came in a single ship. 
There was a suspicion implied in this which stung Nel¬ 
son ; and he said the Russian ministers would never have 
written thus if their fleet had been at Revel. He wrote 
an immediate reply, expressing what he felt: he told the 
court of Petersburg, “that the word of a British Admiral, 
when given in explanation of any part of his conduct, 
was as sacred as that of any sovereign in Europe.” And 
he repeated, “that, under other circumstances, it would 
have been his anxious wish to have paid his personal 
respects to the Emperor, and signed with his own hand 
the act of amity between the two countries.” Having 
despatched this, he stood out to sea immediately, leaving 
a brig to bring off the provisions which had been con¬ 
tracted for, and to settle the accounts. “I hope all is 
right,” said he, writing to our Ambassador at Berlin; 
“but seamen are but bad negotiators; for we put to 
issue in five minutes what diplomatic forms would be 
five months doing.” 

On his way down the Baltic, however, he met the Rus¬ 
sian Admiral Tchitchagof, whom the Emperor, in reply 
to Sir Hyde’s overtures, had sent to communicate per- 


Tiie Life of Nelson 


287 


sonally with the British Commander-in-Chief. The reply 
was such as had been wished and expected: and these 
negotiators going, seaman-like, straight to their object, 
satisfied each other of the friendly intentions of their 
respective governments. Nelson then anchored off Ros¬ 
tock ; and there he received an answer to his last despatch 
from Revel, in which the Russian court expressed their 
regret that there should have been any misconception 
between them, informed him that the British vessels 
which Paul had detained were ordered to be liberated, 
and invited him to Petersburg in whatever mode might 
be most agreeable to himself. Other honors awaited 
him:—the Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, the Queen’s 
brother, 1 came to visit him on board his ship; and towns 
of the inland parts of Mecklenburg sent deputations, with 
their public books of record, that they might have the 
name of Nelson in them written by his own hand. 

From Rostock, the fleet returned to Kioge Bay. Nel¬ 
son saw that the temper of the Danes towards England 
was such as naturally arose from the chastisement which 
they had so recently received. “In this nation,” said he, 
“we shall not be forgiven for having the upper hand of 
them: I only thank God we have, or they would try to 
humble us to the dust.” He saw also that the Danish 
cabinet was completely subservient to France: a French 
officer was at this time the companion and counsellor of 
the Crown Prince; and things were done in such open 
violation of the armistice, that Nelson thought a second 
infliction of vengeance would soon be necessary. He 
wrote to the Admiralty, requesting a clear and explicit 
reply to his inquiry, Whether the Commander-in-Chief 
was at liberty to hold the language becoming a British 
Admiral? “Which, very probably,” said he, “if I am 
here, will break the armistice, and set Copenhagen in a 

1. Queen’s brother. Brother to Charlotte Sophia, wife of George III. 
10 


288 


The Life of Nelson 


blaze. I see everything which is dirty and mean going 
on, and the Prince Royal at the head of it. Ships have 
been masted, guns taken on board, floating batteries 
prepared, and, except hauling out and completing their 
rigging, everything is done in defiance of the treaty. My 
heart burns at seeing the word of a Prince, nearly allied 
to our good King, so falsified; but his conduct is such, 
that he will lose his kingdom if he goes on, for Jacobins 
rule in Denmark. I have made no representations yet, 
as it would be useless to do so until I have the power of 
correction. All I beg, in the name of the future Com- 
mander-in-Chief, is, that the orders may be clear; for 
enough is done to break twenty treaties if it should be 
wished, or to make the Prince Royal humble himself 
before British generosity.” 

Nelson was not deceived in his judgment of the Danish 
Cabinet, but the battle of Copenhagen had crippled its 
powei. The death of the Czar Paul had broken the con¬ 
federacy; and that Cabinet, therefore, was compelled to 
defer, till a more convenient season, the indulgence of its 
enmity towards Great Britain. Soon afterwards, Vice- 
Admiral Sir Charles Maurice Pole arrived to take com¬ 
mand. The business, military and political, had by that 
time been so far completed, that the presence of the Brit¬ 
ish fleet soon became no longer necessary. Sir Charles, 
however, made the short time of his command memorable 
by passing the Great Belt, for the first time, with line 
of battle ships; working through the channel against 
adverse winds. When Nelson left the fleet, 1 this speedy 
termination of the expedition, though confidently ex- 


1. Left the fleet. Nelson was relieved on .Time 10. “I never saw the 

hHi’ W ™ tG St ' Vlnccnt at thls time, “excepting yourself and Trou- 
2 e> Possessed the magic art of infusing the same spirit into 

Ilrt !’Mf h C Vr P ml th0ir OWn actions; exclusive of Other talents 
and habits of business, not common to naval characters.”—Mahan 
Life of Nelson, Vol. II, p. 116. ’ 





The Life of Nelson 


289 


pected, was not certain; and he, in his unwillingness to 
weaken the British force, thought at one time of travers¬ 
ing Jutland in his boat, by the canal, to Tonningen on 
the Eyder, and finding his way home from thence. The 
intention was not executed; but he returned in a brig, 
declining to accept a frigate: which few admirals would 
have done, especially if, like him, they suffered from sea¬ 
sickness in a small vessel. On his arrival at Yarmouth, 
the first thing he did was to visit the hospital, and see the 
men who had been wounded in the late battle:—that 
victory which had added a new glory to the name of Nel¬ 
son, and which was of more importance, even than the 
battle of the Nile, to the honor, the strength, and security 
of England. 

The feelings of Nelson’s friends, upon the news of his 
great victory at Copenhagen, were highly described by 
Sir William Hamilton, in a letter to him. “We can only 
expect,” he says, “what we know well, and often said 
before, that Nelson was, is, and to the last will ever be, 
the first. Emma did not know whether she was on her 
head or heels—in such a hurry to tell your great news, 
that she could utter nothing but tears of joy and tender¬ 
ness. I went to Davison, and found him still in bed, hav¬ 
ing had a severe fit of the gout, and with your letter, 
which he had just received; and he cried like a child : 
but what was very extraordinary, assured me that, from 
the instant he had read your letter, all pain had left him, 
and that he felt himself able to get up and walk about. 
Your brother, Mrs. Nelson, and Horace dined with us. 
Your brother was more extraordinary than ever. He 
would get up suddenly, and cut a caper; rubbing his 
hands every time that the thought of your fresh laurels 
came into his head. In short, except myself (and your 
Lordship knows that I have some phlegm), all the com¬ 
pany, which was considerable after dinner, were mad 



290 


The Life of Nelson 


with joy. But I am sure that no one rejoiced more at 
heart than I did. I have lived too long to have ecstasies! 
But with calm reflection, I felt for my friend having 
got to the very summit of glory! the ne plus ultraI 1 that 
he has had another opportunity of rendering his country 
the most important service, and manifesting again his 
judgment, his intrepidity, and his humanity.” 

He had not been many weeks on shore before lie was 
called upon to undertake a service for which no Nelson 
was required. Bonaparte, who was now First Consul, 
and in reality sole ruler of France, was making prepara¬ 
tions, upon a great scale, for invading England : 2 but his 
schemes in the Baltic had been baffled: fleets could not be 
created as they were wanted; and his armies, therefore, 
were to come over in gun-boats, and such small craft as 
could be rapidly built or collected for the occasion. From 
the former governments of France, such threats have 
only been matter of insult or policy: in Bonaparte they 
were sincere: for this adventurer, intoxicated with suc¬ 
cess, already began to imagine that all things were to 
be submitted to his fortune. We had not at that time 
proved the superiority of our soldiers over the French; 
and the unreflecting multitude were not to be persuaded 
that an invasion could only be effected by numerous and 
powerful fleets. A general alarm was excited: and, in 
condescension to this unworthy feeling, Nelson was ap¬ 
pointed to a command extending from Orfordness to 

1. Ne plus ultra. Nothing further ; the uttermost point. 

2. Invading England. Napoleon collected at Boulogne an army of 
HO,000 men and a great number of flat-boats and barges, and exercised 
the troops in embarking and disembarking, preparatory to an expedition 
against England. Whether he actually intended to make the attempt 
is uncertain ; but the control of the Channel necessary to prevent it 
was the constant concern of the British fleet up to the victory of 
Trafalgar, Oct. 21, 1805. In August of that year, however, Napoleon 
was forced to march against an Austrian army approaching through 
southern Germany. 


The Life of Nelson 


291 








Beacliy Head, on both shores; 1 —a sort of service, he 
said, for which he felt no other ability than what might 
be found in his zeal. 

To this service, however, such as it was, he applied with 
his wonted alacrity, though in no cheerful frame of mind. 
To Lady Hamilton, his only female correspondent, he 
says at this time—“I am not in very good spirits; and 
except that our country demands all our services and 
abilities to bring about an honorable peace, nothing 
should prevent my being the bearer of my own letter. 
But, my dear friend, I know you are so true and loyal an 
Englishwoman, that you would hate those who would not 
stand forth in defense of our King, laws, religion, and 
all that is dear to us.—It is your sex that makes us go 
forth, and seems to tell us, ‘None but the brave deserve 
the fair;’—and if we fall, we still live in the hearts of 
those females. It is your sex that rewards us, it is your 
sex who cherish our memories; and you, my dear honored 
friend, are, believe me, the first, the best of your sex. 
I have been the world around, and in every corner of it, 
and never yet saw your equal, or even one who could be 
put in comparison with you. You know how to reward 
virtue, honor, and courage, and never to ask if it is 
placed in a prince, duke, lord, or peasant.” Having 
hoisted his flag in the Medusa frigate, he went to recon¬ 
noitre Boulogne; the point from which it was supposed 
the great attempt would be made, and which the French, 
in fear of an attack themselves, were fortifying with 
all care. He approached near enough to sink two of their 
floating batteries, and destroy a few gun-boats which 
were without the pier; what damage was done within 
could not be ascertained. “Boulogne,” he said, “was 


1. Orfordness to Beach}/ Head, on both shores. Including the mouth 
of the Thames, the Straits of Dover, and the eastern extremity of the 
Channel, from the English to the French coast. 


292 


The Life of Nelson 


certainly not a very pleasant place that morning:—but,” 
he added, “it is not my wish to injure the poor inhabi¬ 
tants; and the town is spared as much as the nature of 
the service will admit.” Enough was done to show the 
enemy that they could not, with impunity, come outside 
their own ports. Nelson was satisfied, by what he saw, 
that they meant to make an attempt from this place, 
but that it was impracticable; for the least wind at ! 
W.N.W., and they were lost. The ports of Flushing and 
Flanders were better points: there we could not tell by 
our eyes what means of transport were provided. From 
thence, therefore, if it came forth at all, the expedition 
would come:—“And what a forlorn undertaking!” said 
he: “consider cross tides, etc. As for rowing, that is 
impossible. It is perfectly right to be prepared for a 
mad government : but with the active force which has 
been given me, I may pronounce it almost impracticable. ” 

That force had been got together with an alacrity 
which has seldom been equalled. On the 28th of July we 
were, in Nelson’s own words, literally at the foundation 
of our fabric of defense: and twelve days afterwards 
we were so prepared on the enemy’s coast, that he did not 
believe they could get three miles from their ports. The 
Medusa, returning to our own shores, anchored in the 
rolling ground 1 off Harwich; and when Nelson wished 
to get to the Nore in her, the wind rendered it impossible 
to proceed there by the usual channel. In haste to be at 
the Nore, remembering that he had been a tolerable pilot 
for the mouth of the Thames in his younger days, and 
thinking it necessary that he should know all that could 
be known of the navigation, he requested the maritime 
surveyor of the coast, Mr. Spence, to get him into the 
Swin, by any channel: for neither the pilots whom he had 

1. Rolling ground. An exposed anchorage in shallow water, subject 
to a heavy ground swell. 



The Life of Nelson 


293 


on board, nor the Harwich ones, would take charge of the 
ship. No vessel drawing more than fourteen feet had 
ever before ventured over the Naze. Mr. Spence, how¬ 
ever, who had surveyed the channel, carried her safely 
through. The channel has since been called Nelson’s, 
though he himself wished it to be named after the 
Medusa: his name needed no new memorial. 

Nelson’s eye was upon Flushing:—“To take possession 
of that place,” he said, “would be a week’s expedition 
for four or five thousand troops.” This, however, re¬ 
quired a consultation with the Admiralty; and that some¬ 
thing might be done meantime, he resolved upon attack¬ 
ing the flotilla in the mouth of Boulogne Harbor. This 
resolution was made in deference to the opinion of others, 
and to the public feeling which was so preposterously 
excited. He himself scrupled not to assert, that the 
French army would never embark at Boulogne for the 
invasion of England; and he owned, that this boat-war¬ 
fare was not exactly congenial to his feelings. Into Hel- 
voet or Flushing he should be happy to lead, if Govern¬ 
ment turned their thoughts that way. “While I serve,” 
said he, “I will do it actively, and to the very best of 
my abilities.—I require nursing like a child,” he added; 
“my mind carries me beyond my strength, and will do 
me up:—but such is my nature.” 

The attack was made by the boats of the squadron in 
five divisions, under Captains Somerville, Parker, Cot- 
grave, Jones, and Conn. The previous essay had taught 
the French the weak parts of their position; and they 
omitted no means of strengthening it, and of guarding 
against the expected attempt. The boats put off about 
half an hour before midnight; but, owing to the dark¬ 
ness, and tide and half-tide, 1 which must always make 

1. Tide and half-tide. When the tide continues to flow upward In a 
river or inlet after it has reached high water on the coast. 





>294 


f 


The Life of Nelson 


night-attacks so uncertain on the coasts of the Channel, 
the divisions separated. One could not arrive at all; 
another not till near daybreak. The others made their 
attack gallantly; but the enemy were fully prepared: 
every vessel was defended by long poles, headed with iron 
spikes, projecting from their sides: strong nettings were 
braced up to their lower yards; they were moored by the 
bottom to the shore, and chained one to another ;* they 
were strongly manned with soldiers, and protected by 
land-batteries, and the shore was lined with troops. 
Many were taken possession of; and, though they could 
not have been brought out, would have been burned, had 
not the French resorted to a mode of offense, which they 
have often used, but which no other people have ever 
been wicked enough to employ. The moment the firing 
ceased on board one of their own vessels, they fired upon 
it from the shore, perfectly regardless of their own men. 

The commander of one of the French divisions acted 
like a generous enemy. He hailed the boats as they ap¬ 
proached, and cried out in English, “Let me advise you, 
my brave Englishmen, to keep your distance: you can do 
nothing here; and it is only uselessly shedding the blood 
of brave men to make the attempt.” The French official 
account boasted of the victory. “The combat,” it said, 
“took place in sight of both countries; it was the first of 
the kind, and the historian would have cause to make this 
remark.” They guessed our loss at four or five hundred : 

• In the former editions I had stated, upon what appeared authen¬ 
tic Information, that the boats were chained one to another. Nelson 
himself believed this. But I have been assured that It was not the 
case, by M. de Bercet, who, when I had the pleasure of seeing him 
in 1825, was (and I hope still Is) Commandant of Boulogne. The word 
of this brave and loyal soldier Is fts little to be doubted as his worth. 
He is the last survivor of Charette’s band ; and his own memoirs, could 
he be persuaded to write them (a duty which he owes to his country 
as well as to himself) would form a redeeming episode in the history 
of the French Revolution.— Southey’s ~Kotc. 



The Life of Nelson 


295 


—it amounted to one hundred and seventy-two. In his 
private letters to the Admiralty, Nelson affirmed that 
had our force arrived as he intended, it was not all the 
chains in France which could have prevented our men 
from bringing off the whole of the vessels. There had 
been no error committed, and never did Englishmen dis¬ 
play more courage. Upon this point Nelson was fully 
satisfied; but he said he should never bring himself again 
to allow any attack wherein he was not personally con¬ 
cerned ; and that his mind suffered more than if he had 
had a leg shot off in the affair. He grieved particularly 
for Captain Parker,—an excellent officer, to whom he 
was greatly attached, and who had an aged father look¬ 
ing to him for assistance. His thigh was shattered in the 
action, and the wound proved mortal, after some weeks 
of suffering and manly resignation. During this in¬ 
terval, Nelson’s anxiety was very great. “Dear Parker 
is my child,” said he, “for I found him in distress.” 
And, when he received the tidings of his death, he re¬ 
plied:—“You will judge of my feelings: God’s will be 
done. I beg that his hair may be cut off and given me; 
—it shall be buried in my grave. Poor Mr. Parker! 
What a son has he lost! If I were to say I was content, 
I should lie; but I shall endeavor to submit with all the 
fortitude in my power.—His loss has made a wound in 
my heart which time will hardly heal. ’ ’ 

“You ask me, my dear friend,” he says to Lady Ham¬ 
ilton, “if I am going on more expeditions? and even if 
I was to forfeit your friendship, which is dearer to me 
than all the world, I can tell you nothing. For, I go out: 
if I see the enemy, and can get at them, it is my duty: 
and you would naturally hate me, if I kept back one 
moment.—I long to pay them, for their tricks t’other 
day, the debt of a drubbing, which surely I ’ll pay: but 
when, where , or hoiv, it is impossible, your own good 


296 


The Life of Nelson 


sense must tell you, for me or mortal man to say.” Yet 
he now wished to be relieved from this service. The coun- 
try, he said, had attached a confidence to his name, which 
he had submitted to, and therefore had cheerfully re¬ 
paired to the station; but this boat business, though it 
might be part of a great plan of invasion, could never be 
the only one, and he did not think it was a command for 
a Vice-Admiral. It was not that he wanted a more lu¬ 
crative situation;—for, seriously indisposed as he was, 
and low-spirited from private considerations, he did not 
know, if the Mediterranean were vacant, that he should 
be equal to undertake it. He was offended with the 
Admiralty for refusing him leave to go to town when 
he had solicited; in reply to a friendly letter from Trou- 
bridge he says, I am at this moment as firmly of opinion 
as ever, that Lord St. Vincent and yourself should have 
allowed of my coming to town for my own affairs, for 
every one knows I left it without a thought for myself.” 
Ilis letters at this time breathe an angry feeling toward 
Troubridge, who was now become, he said, one of his 
lords and masters, 1 —“I have a letter from him,” he 
says, “recommending me to wear flannel shirts. Does he 
care for me ? no : but never mind. They shall work 
hard to get me again. The cold has settled in my bowels. 
I wish the Admiralty had my complaint: but they have 
no bowels, at least for me.—I dare say Master Troubridge 
is grown fat; I know I am grown lean with my complaint, 
which, but for their indifference about my health, could 
never have happened; or, at least, I should have got well 
long ago in a warm room with a good fire and sincere 
friend. In the same tone of bitterness, he complained 
that he was not able to promote those whom he thought 
deserving: “Troubridge,” he says, “has so completely 

1. One of his lords and masters. Troubridge was one of the Lords 
of the Admiralty from 1801 to 1S04. 


The Life of Nelson 


297 


prevented my ever mentioning anybody’s service, that I 
am become a cipher, and he has gained a victory over Nel¬ 
son’s spirit. I am kept here, for what?—he may be able 
to tell, I cannot. But long it cannot—shall not be. ’ ’ An 
end was put to this uncomfortable state of mind when, 
fortunately (on that account) for him, as well as happily 
for the nation, the peace of Amiens 1 was, just at this time, 
signed. Nelson rejoiced that the experiment was made, 
but was well aware that it was an experiment ; he saw 
what he called the misery of peace, unless the utmost vig¬ 
ilance and prudence were exerted; and he expressed, in 
bitter terms, his proper indignation at the manner in 
which the mob of London welcomed the French General, 
who brought the ratification: saying, “that they made 
him ashamed of his country. ’’ 

He had purchased a house and estate at Merton , 2 in 
Surrey; meaning to pass his days there in the society of 
Sir William and Lady Hamilton. He had indulged in 
pleasant dreams when looking on to this as his place of 
residence and rest. “To be sure,’’ he says, “we shall 
employ the tradespeople of our village in preference to 
any others, in what we want for common use, and give 
them every encouragement to be kind and attentive to 
us.”—“Have we a nice church at Merton? We will set 
an example of goodness to the under-parishioners. I 
admire the pigs and poultry. Sheep are certainly most 
beneficial to eat off the grass. Ho you get paid for them, 
and take care that they are kept on the premises all 
night, for that is the time they do good to the land. They 
should be folded. Is your head man a good person, and 

1. Peace of Amiens. Signed October 1 , 1801 , and ratified March 27, 
1802, between Great Britain on one side and France, Spain, and the 
Low Countries on the other. England agreed to restore her conquests 
of French colonies provided France abandoned Home and Naples, and 
gave back Malta to the Knights of St. John. 

2. Merton. About eight miles south of London. 


298 


The Life of Nelson 


true to our interest? I intend to have a farming-book. 

I expect that all animals will increase where you are, for 
I never expect that you will suffer any to be killed. No 
person can take amiss our not visiting. The answer 
from me will always be very civil thanks, but that I 
wish to live retired. We shall have our sea-friends; and 
I know Sir William thinks they are the best.” This place 
he had never seen till he was now welcomed there by the 
friends to whom he had so passionately devoted himself, 
and who were not less sincerely attached to him. The 
place, and everything which Lady Hamilton had done 
to it, delighted him; and he declared that the longest 
liver should possess it all. Here he amused himself with 
angling in the Wandle, having been a good fly-fisher in 
former days, and learning now to practice with his left 
hand,* what he could no longer pursue as a solitary di¬ 
version. His pensions for his victories, and for the loss 
of his eye and arm, amounted with his half-pay to about 
£3400 a year. From this he gave £1800 to Lady Nelson, 
£200 to a brother’s widow, and £150 for the education of 
his children; and he paid £500 interest for borrowed 
money; so that Nelson was comparatively a poor man; 
and though much of the pecuniary embarrassment which 
he endured was occasioned by the separation from his 
wife—even if that cause had not existed, his income 
would not have been sufficient for the rank which he 
held, and the claims which would necessarily be made 
upon his bounty. The depression of spirits under which 
he had long labored arose partly from this state of his 
circumstances, and partly from the other disquietudes 
in which his connection with Lady Hamilton had in- 

* This is mentioned on the authority, and by the desire of Sir 
Humphrey Davy ( Salmonia, p. 6), whose name I write with the re¬ 
spect to which it is so justly entitled ; and, calling to mind the time 
when we were in habits of daily and intimate intercourse, with affec¬ 
tionate regret.— Southey’s Note. 


The Life of Nelson 


299 


volved him; a connection which it was not possible his 
father could behold without sorrow and displeasure. Mr. 
Nelson, however, was soon persuaded that the attach¬ 
ment, which Lady Nelson regarded with natural jealousy 
and resentment, did not, in reality, pass the bounds of 
ardent and romantic admiration; a passion which the 
manners and accomplishments of Lady Hamilton, fas¬ 
cinating as they were, would not have been able to excite, 
if they had not been accompanied by more uncommon in¬ 
tellectual endowments, and by a character which, both in 
its strength and in its weakness, resembled his own. It 
did not, therefore, require much explanation to reconcile 
him to his son;—an event the more essential to Nelson’s 
happiness, because, a few months afterwards, the good 
old man died at the age of seventy-nine. 

Soon after the conclusion of peace, tidings arrived of 
our final and decisive successes in Egypt d in conse¬ 
quence of which the Common Council voted their thanks 
to the army and navy for bringing the campaign to so 
glorious a conclusion. When Nelson, after the action of 
Cape St. Vincent, had been entertained at a city feast, 
he had observed to the Lord Mayor, “That, if the city 
continued its- generosity, the navy would ruin them in 
gifts.’’ To which the Lord Mayor replied, putting his 
hand upon the Admiral’s shoulder, “Do you find victo¬ 
ries, and we will find rewards.” Nelson, as he said, had 
kept his word,—had doubly fulfilled his part of the con¬ 
tract,—but no thanks had been voted for the battle of 
Copenhagen; and, feeling that he and his companions in 
that day’s glory had a fair and honorable claim to this 
reward, he took the present opportunity of addressing 
a letter to the Lord Mayor, complaining of the omission 

1. Successes in Egypt. An English force of 18,000 men under 
General Abercrombie defeated the French at Alexandria, March 21, 
1801, and forced them to complete surrender in August of the same 
year. 


300 


The Life of Nelson 


and the injustice. “The smallest services/’ said he, 
“rendered by the army or navy to the country have al¬ 
ways been noticed by the great city r of London, with one 
exception:—the glorious 2nd of April:—a day when the 
greatest dangers of navigation were overcome, and the 
Danish force, which they thought impregnable, totally 
taken or destroyed, by the consummate skill of our com¬ 
manders, and by the undaunted bravery of as gallant a 
band as ever defended the rights of this country. For 
myself, if I were only personally concerned, I should 
bear the stigma, attempted to be now first placed upon 
my brow, with humility. But, my lord, I am the natural 
guardian of the fame of all the officers of the navy, army, 
and marines, who fought, and so profusely bled, under 
my command on that day. Again I disclaim for myself 
more merit than naturally falls to a successful comman¬ 
der; but when I am called upon to speak of the merits 
of the captains of His Majesty’s ships, and of the officers 
and men, whether seamen, marines, or soldiers, whom I 
that day had the happiness to command, I then say, that 
never was the glory of this country upheld with more de¬ 
termined bravery than on that occasion:—and, if I may 
be allowed to give an opinion as a Briton, then I say, 
that more important service was never rendered to our 
King and country. It is my duty, my lord, to prove to 
the brave fellows, my companions in danger, that I have 
not failed, at every proper place, to represent, as well as 
j I 3 avery a n d meritorious conduct. ’ ’ 

Another honor, of greater import, was withheld from 
the conquerors. The King had given medals to those cap¬ 
tains who were engaged in the battles of the 1st of June, 1 
of Cape St. Vincent, of Camperdown, 2 and of the Nile. 

L The 1st of June. Lord Ilown’s defeat of the French off Ushant 
June 1, 1794. 

2. Camperdown. Admiral Duncan’s victory over the Dutch October 
11, 1707. 


The Life of Nelson 


301 


Then came the victory of Copenhagen: which Nelson 
truly called the most difficult achievement, the hardest 
fought battle, the most glorious result that ever graced 
the annals of our country. He, of course, expected the 
medal: and, in writing to the Earl St. Vincent, said: 
'‘He longed to have it, and would not give it up to be 
made an English duke.” The medal, however, was not 
given :—“For what reason,” said Nelson, “Lord St. Vin¬ 
cent best knows.”—Words plainly implying a suspicion, 
that it was withheld by some feeling of jealousy: and 
that suspicion estranged him, during the remaining part 
of his life, from one who had been at one time essentially, 
as well as sincerely, his friend, and of whose professional 
abilities he ever entertained the highest opinion. 

The happiness which Nelson enjoyed in the society of 
his chosen friends, was of no long continuance. Sir 
William Hamilton, who was far advanced in years, died 
early in 1803; a mild, amiable, accomplished man, w T ho 
has thus in a letter described his own philosophy:—“My 
study of antiquities,” he says, “has kept me in constant 
thought of the perpetual fluctuation of everything. The 
whole art is really to live all the days of our life; and not 
with anxious care disturb the sweetest hour that life 
affords—which is the present. Admire the Creator, and 
all his works, to us incomprehensible; and do all the 
good you can upon earth; and take the chance of eternity 
without dismay.” He expired in his wife’s arms, hold¬ 
ing Nelson by the hand; and almost in his last words left 
her to his protection; requesting him that he would see 
justice done her by the government, as he knew what 
she had done for her country. He left him her portrait 
in enamel, calling him his dearest friend; the most vir¬ 
tuous, loyal, and truly brave character he had ever 
known. The codicil containing this bequest concluded 
with these words: “God bless him, and shame fall on 


302 


The Life of Nelson 


those who do not say Amen.” Sir William’s pension, 
of £1200 a year, ceased with his death. Nelson applied 
to Mr. Addington in Lady Hamilton’s behalf, stating the 
important service which she had rendered to the fleet at 
Syracuse; and Mr. Addington, it is said, acknowledged 
that she had a just claim upon the gratitude of the 
country. This barren acknowledgment was all that was 
obtained; but a sum, equal to the pension which her hus¬ 
band had enjoyed, was settled on her by Nelson, and paid 
in monthly payments during, his life. A few weeks after 
this event, the war was renewed j 1 and, the day after His 
Majesty’s message to Parliament, Nelson departed to 
take command of the Mediterranean fleet. The war, he 
thought, could not be long; just enough to make him 
independent in pecuniary matters. 

He took his station immediately off Toulon; and there, 
with incessant vigilance, waited for the coming out of 
the enemy. The expectation of acquiring a competent 
fortune did not last long. “Somehow,” he says, “my 
mind is not sharp enough for prize-money. Lord Keith 
would have made £20,000, and I have not made £6000.” 
More than once he says that the prizes taken in the Medi¬ 
terranean had not paid his expenses, and once he ex¬ 
presses himself as if it were a consolation to think that 
some ball might soon close all his accounts with this 
world of care and vexation. At this time the widow of 
his brother, being then blind and advanced in years, was 
distressed for money, and about to sell her plate; he 
wrote to Lady Hamilton, requesting of her to find out 
what her debts were, and saying, that if the amount was 
within his power, he would certainly pay it, and rather 
pinch himself than that she should want. Before he had 
finished the letter, an account arrived that a sum was 
payable to him for some neutral taken four years before, 

1. War ir as rcnrircd. War was declared May 18, 1803. 


The Life of Nelson 


303 


which enabled him to do this without being the poorer; 
and he seems to have felt at the moment that what was 
thus disposed of by a cheerful giver, shall be paid to him 
again.—One from whom he had looked for very different 
conduct, had compared his own wealth in no becoming 
manner with Nelson's limited means. “I know,” said 
he to Lady Hamilton, “the full extent of the obliga¬ 
tion I owe him, and he may be useful to me again; but 
I can never forget his unkindness to you. But I guess 
many reasons influenced his conduct in bragging of his 
riches and my*honorable poverty; but, as I have often 
said, and with honest pride, what I have is my own: it 
never cost the widow a tear, or the nation a farthing. I 
got what I have with my pure blood, from the enemies 
of my country. Our house, my own Emma, is built 
upon a solid foundation; and will last to us, when his 
house and lands may belong to others than his children . 9 9 

His hope was that peace might soon be made, or that 
he should be relieved from his command, and retire to 
Merton, where, at that distance, he was planning and 
directing improvements. On his birthday he writes: 
“This day, my dearest Emma, I consider as more fortu¬ 
nate than common days, as by my coming into the world 
it has brought me so intimately acquainted with you. I 
well know that you will keep it and have my dear Ho- 
ratia 1 to drink my health. Forty-six years of toil and 
trouble! How few more the common lot of mankind 
leads us to expect! and therefore it is almost time to 
think of spending the few last years in peace and quiet¬ 
ness.” It is painful to think that this language was not 
addressed to his wife, but to one with whom he promised 
himself “many, many happy years, when that impedi- 

1. Horatia. Daughter of Nelson and Lady Hamilton, born Janu¬ 
ary 30, 1801. She became the wife of the Rev. Philip Ward, and died 
In 1881. 


304 


The Life of Nelson 


ment,” as he calls her, “shall have been removed, if God 
pleased;” and they might be surrounded with their 
children’s children. 

When he had been fourteen months off Toulon, he 
received a vote of thanks from the city of London, for 
his skill and perseverance in blockading that port, so as 
to prevent the French from putting to sea. Nelson had 
not forgotten the wrong which the city had done to the 
Baltic fleet by their omission, and did not lose the oppor¬ 
tunity, which this vote afforded, of recurring to that 
point. “I do assure your lordship,” said he, in his 
answer to the Lord Mayor, “that there is not that man 
breathing who sets a higher value upon the thanks of his 
fellow-citizens of London than myself; but I should feel 
as much ashamed to receive them for a particular service, 
marked in the resolution, if I felt that I did not come 
within that line of service, as I should feel hurt at having 
a great victory passed over without notice. I beg to 
inform your lordship, that the port of Toulon has never 
been blockaded by me: quite the reverse. Every oppor¬ 
tunity has been offered the enemy to put to sea; for it 
is there that we hope to realize the hopes and expecta¬ 
tions of our country.” Nelson then remarked, that the 
junior flag officers of his fleet had been omitted in this 
vote of thanks;- and his surprise at the omission was ex¬ 
pressed with more asperity, perhaps, than an offence, so 
entirely and manifestly unintentional, deserved: but it 
arose from that generous regard for the feelings as well 
as interests of all who were under his command, which 
made him as much beloved in the fleets of Britain as he 
was dreaded in those of the enemy. 

Never was any commander more beloved. He gov¬ 
erned men by their reason and their affections; they 
knew that he was incapable of caprice or tyranny ; and 
they obeyed him with alacrity and joy, because he pos- 


The Life of Nelson 


305 


sessed their confidence as well as their love. “Our Nel,” 
they used to say, “is as brave as a lion, and as gentle as a 
lamb.” Severe discipline he detested, though he had 
been bred in a severe school: he never inflicted corporal 
punishment if it were possible to avoid it; and when 
compelled to enforce it, he, who was familiar with wounds 
and death, suffered like a woman. In his whole life 
Nelson was never known to act unkindly towards an 
officer. If he was asked to prosecute one for ill be¬ 
havior, he used to answer: “That there was no occa¬ 
sion for him to ruin a poor devil, who was sufficiently his 
own enemy to ruin himself.” But in Nelson there was 
more than the easiness and humanity of a happy nature: 
he did not merely abstain from injury; his was an active 
and watchful benevolence, ever desirous not only to 
render justice, but to do good. During the peace, he 
had spoken in Parliament upon the abuses respecting 
prize-money, and had submitted plans to Government for 
more easily manning the Navy, and preventing desertion 
from it, by bettering the condition of the seamen. He 
proposed that their certificates should be registered, and 
that every man who had served, with a good character, 
five years in war, should receive a bounty of two guineas 
annually after that time, and of four guineas after eight 
years. “This,” he said, “might, at first.sight, appear 
an enormous sum for the state to pay; but the average 
life of a seaman is, from hard service, finished at forty- 
five : he cannot, therefore, enjoy the annuity many years; 
and the interest of the money saved by their not desert¬ 
ing, would go far to pay the whole expense.” 

To his midshipmen he ever showed the most winning 
kindness, encouraging the diffident, tempering the hasty, 
counselling and befriending both. “Recollect,” he used 
to say, “that you must be a seaman to be an officer; and 
also, that you cannot be a good officer without being a 



306 


The Life of Nelson 


gentleman.” A lieutenant wrote to him to say, that he 
was dissatisfied with his captain. Nelson’s answer w T as 
in that spirit of perfect wisdom and perfect goodness, 
which regulated his whole conduct toward those who 
were under his command. “I have just received your 
letter; and I am truly sorry that any difference should 
arise between your captain, who has the reputation of 
being one of the bright officers of the service, and your¬ 
self, a very young man and a very young officer, who 
must naturally have much to learn: therefore the chance 
is that you are perfectly wrong in the disagreement. 
However, as your present situation must be very dis¬ 
agreeable, I will certainly take an early opportunity of 
removing you, provided your conduct to your present 
captain be such, that another may not refuse to receive 
you.” The gentleness and benignity of his disposition 
never made him forget what w T as due to discipline. Being 
on one occasion applied to, to save a young officer from 
a court-martial, which he had provoked by his miscon¬ 
duct, his reply was, “That he would do everything in his 
power to oblige so gallant and good an officer as Sir John 
Warren,” in whose name the intercession had been 
made :—“But what,” he added, “would he do if he were 
here?—Exactly what I have done, and am still willing 
to do. The yeung man must write such a letter of con¬ 
trition as would be an acknowledgment of his great fault; 
and with a sincere promise, if his captain will intercede 
to prevent the impending court-martial, never to so mis¬ 
behave again. On his captain’s enclosing me such a 
letter, with a request to cancel the order for the trial, I 
might be induced to do it: but the letters and reprimand 
will be given in the public order-book of the fleet, and 
read to all the officers. The young man has pushed him¬ 
self forward to notice, and he must take the consequence. 
—It was upon the quarter-deck, in the face of the ships’ 


The Life of Nelson 


307 


company, that he treated his captain with contempt; and 
I am in duty bound to support the authority and conse¬ 
quence of every officer under my command. A poor, 
ignorant seaman is for ever punished for contempt to his 
superiors. ’ ’ 

A dispute occurred in the fleet, while it was off Toulon, 
which called forth Nelson’s zeal for the rights and inter¬ 
ests of the navy. Some young artillery officers, serving 
on board the bomb-vessels, refused to let their men per¬ 
form any other duty but what related to the mortars. 
They wished todiave it established, that their corps was 
not subject to the captain’s authority. The same pre¬ 
tensions were made in the Channel fleet about the same 
time; and the artillery rested their claims to separate 
and independent authority on board, upon a clause in 
the Act, 1 which they interpreted in their favor. Nelson 
took up the subject with all the earnestness which its 
importance deserved.—“There is no real happiness in 
this world,” said he, writing to Earl St. Vincent, as 
First Lord. “With all content, and smiles around me, 
up start these artillery boys (I understand they are not 
beyond that age), and set us at defiance; speaking in the 
most disrespectful manner of the navy and its command¬ 
ers. I know you, my dear lord, so well, that, with your 
quickness, the matter would have been settled, and per¬ 
haps some of them been broke. I am, perhaps, more pa¬ 
tient ; but, I do assure you, not less resolved, if my plan 
of conciliation is not attended to. You and I are on the eve 
of quitting the theater of our exploits; but we hold it 
due to our successors never, whilst we have a tongue to 
speak, or a hand to write, to allow the Navy to be, in 
the smallest degree, injured in its discipline by our con¬ 
duct.” To Troubridge he wrote in the same spirit:— 


1. Act. The Act of Parliament 

ships, vessels, and forces at sea,” 


“for the regulation of ITis Majesty’s 
i. fthe Naval Regulations. 


308 


The Life of Nelson 


“It is the old history, trying to do away the Act of 
Parliament: but I trust they will never succeed; for, 
when they do, farewell to our naval superiority. We 
should be prettily commanded! Let them once gain the 
step of being independent of the Navy on board a ship, 
and they will soon have the other, and command us.— 
But, thank God! my dear Troubridge, the King himself 
cannot do away the Act of Parliament. Although my 
career is nearly run, yet it would embitter my future 
days and expiring moments to hear of our Navy being 
sacrificed to the Army.” As the surest.wav of prevent¬ 
ing such disputes, he suggested that the Navy should 
have its own corps of artillery; and a corps of Marine 
Artillery was accordingly established. 

Instead of lessening the power of the Commander, Nel¬ 
son would have wished to see it increased: it was abso¬ 
lutely necessary, he thought, that merit should be re¬ 
warded at the moment, and that the officers of the fleet 
should look up to the Commander-in-Chief for their 
reward. He himself was never more happy than when 
he could promote those who were deserving of promotion. 
Many were the services which he thus rendered unso¬ 
licited ; and frequently the officer, in whose behalf he had 
interested himself with the Admiralty, did not know to 
whose friendly interference he was indebted for his good 
fortune. He used to say, * 1 1 wish it to appear as a God¬ 
send.” The love which he bore the Navy made him 
promote the interests and honor the memory of all who 
had added to its glories. “The near relations of brother- 
officers,” he said, “he considered as legacies to the serv¬ 
ice.” Upon mention being made to him of a son of Rod¬ 
ney, 1 by the Duke of Clarence, his reply was: “I agree 
with your Royal Highness most entirely, that the son of 
Rodney ought to be the protege of every person in the 

1. Rodney. See p. 53, note 1. 


The Life of Nelson 


309 


kingdom, and particularly of the sea officers. Had I 
known that there had been this claimant, some of my own 
lieutenants must have given way to such a name, and he 
should have been placed in the Victory: she is full, and I 
have twenty on my list; but, whatever numbers I have, 
the name of Rodney must cut many of them out.” Such 
was the proper sense which Nelson felt of what was due 
to splendid services and illustrious names. His feelings 
toward the brave men who had served with him are 
shown by a note in his diary, which was probably not 
intended for any other eye than his own.—“Nov. 7. I had 
the comfort of making an old Agamemnon, George Jones, 
a gunner into the Chameleon brig.” 

When Nelson took the command, it was expected that 
the Mediterranean would be an active scene. Nelson well 
understood the character of the perfidious Corsican, who 
was now sole tyrant of France; and knowing that he was 
as ready to attack his friends as his enemies, knew, there¬ 
fore, that nothing could be more uncertain than the direc¬ 
tion of the fleet from Toulon, whenever it should put to 
sea :— 11 It had as many destinations , 9 n he said, ‘ ‘ as there 
were countries.” The momentous revolutions of the last 
ten years had given him ample matter for reflection, as 
well as opportunities for observation : the film was cleared 
from his eyes; and now, when the French no longer went 
abroad with the cry of liberty and equality, he saw that 
the oppression and misrule of the powers which had been 
opposed to them had been the main causes of their suc¬ 
cess, and that those causes would still prepare the way 
before them. Even in Sicily, where, if it had been possi¬ 
ble longer to blind himself, Nelson would willingly have 
seen no evil, he perceived that the people wished for a 

1. Many destinations. Ireland, the West Indies, and the Levant 
were the chief possibilities. “I shall follow them to the Antipodes,” 
wrote Nelson *, and again, with a touch of humor, ‘‘I trust they are 
destined for Spithead.” 


310 


The Life of Nelson 


change, and acknowledged that they had reason to wish 
for it. In Sardinia, the same burden of misgovermnent 
was felt; and the people, like the Sicilians, were impov¬ 
erished by a government so utterly incompetent to per¬ 
form its first and most essential duties, that it did not 
protect its own coasts from the Barbary pirates. He 
would fain have had us purchase this island (the finest in 
the Mediterranean) from its sovereign, who did not 
receive £5000 a year from it, after its wretched estab¬ 
lishment 1 was paid. There was reason to think that 
France was preparing to possess herself of this impor¬ 
tant point, which afforded our fleet facilities for watch¬ 
ing Toulon not to be obtained elsewhere. An expedition 
was preparing at Corsica for the purpose; and all the 
Sardes, who had taken part with revolutionary France, 
were ordered to assemble there. It was certain that if 
the attack were made, it would succeed. Nelson thought 
that the only means to prevent Sardinia from becoming 
French was to make it English, and that half a million 
would give the King a rich price, and England a cheap 
purchase. A better, and therefore a wiser, policy would 
have been to exert our influence in removing the abuses 
of the government ; for foreign dominion is always, in 
some degree, an evil; and allegiance neither can nor 
ought to be made a thing of bargain and sale. Sardinia, 
like Sicily and Corsica, is large enough to form a sepa¬ 
rate state. Let us hope that these islands may, ere long, 
be made free and independent. Freedom and independ¬ 
ence will bring with them industry and prosperity; and 
wherever these are found, arts and letters will flourish, 
and the improvement of the human race proceed. 

The proposed attack was postponed. Views of wider 
ambition were opening before Bonaparte, who now al- 

1. Establishment. The military and civil forces required to govern 
the island. 


The Life of Nelson 


311 


most undisguisedly aspired to make himself master of 
the continent of Europe; and Austria was preparing for 
another struggle, to be conducted as weakly, and ter¬ 
minated as miserably, as the former. Spain, too, was 
once more to be involved in war by the policy of France; 
that perfidious government having in view the double 
object of employing the Spanish resources against Eng¬ 
land, and exhausting them, in order to render Spain 
herself finally its prey. Nelson, who knew that England 
and the Peninsula ought to be in alliance, for the com¬ 
mon interest of both, frequently expressed his hopes 
that Spain might resume her natural rank among the 
nations. “We ought,” he said, “by mutual consent, to 
be the very best of friends, and both to be ever hostile to 
France.” But he saw that Bonaparte was meditating 
the destruction of Spain, and that, while the wretched 
court of Madrid professed to remain neutral, the appear¬ 
ances of neutrality were scarcely preserved. An order 
of the year 1771, excluding British ships of war from 
the Spanish ports, was revived, and put in force; while 
French privateers, from these very ports, annoyed the 
British trade, carried their prizes in, and sold them even 
at Barcelona. Nelson complained of this to the Captain 
General of Catalonia, informing him that he claimed, for 
every British ship or squadron, the right of lying, as long 
as it pleased, in the ports of Spain, while that right was 
allowed to other powers. To the British Ambassador he 
said: “I am ready to make large allowances for the mis¬ 
erable situation Spain has placed herself in; but there is 
a certain line beyond which I cannot submit to be treated 
with disrespect. We have given up French vessels taken 
within gun-shot 1 of the Spanish shore, and yet French 

1. Within gun-shot. Within the “three-mile limit,” a distance deter¬ 
mined roughly by the range of an old-time cannon from the shore; 
hence illegitimately captured. 




m 


The Life of Nelson 


vessels are permitted to attack our ships from the Span¬ 
ish shore. Your Excellency may assure the Spanish 
government, that in whatever place the Spaniards allow 
the French to attack us, in that place I shall order the 
French to be attacked.” 

During this state of things, to which the weakness of 
Spain, and not her will, consented, the enemy’s fleet did 
not venture to put to sea. Nelson watched it with unre¬ 
mitting and almost unexampled perseverance. The sta¬ 
tion off Toulon he called his home. “We are in the right 
fighting trim,” said lie: “let them come as soon as they 
please. I never saw a fleet altogether so well officered and 
manned : would to God the ships were half so good!—The 
finest ones in the service would soon be destroyed by such 
terrible weather: I know well enough, that if I were to 
go into Malta I should save the ships during this bad sea¬ 
son ; but if I am to watch the French, I must be at sea; 
and if at sea, must have bad weather: and if the ships 
are not fit to stand bad weather, they are useless.” Then 
only he was satisfied, and at ease, when he had the enemy 
in view. Mr. Elliot, our Minister at Naples, seems, at this 
time, to have proposed to send a confidential 1 Frenchman 
to him with information. “I should be very happy,” he 
replied, “to receive authentic intelligence of the destina¬ 
tion of the French squadron, their route, and time of sail¬ 
ing.—Anything short of this is useless; and I assure your 
Excellency, that I would not, upon any consideration, 
have a Frenchman in the fleet, except as a prisoner. I 
put no confidence in them. You think yours good; the 
Queen thinks the same : I believe they are all alike. What¬ 
ever information you can get me, T shall be very thapkful 
for; but not a Frenchman comes here. Forgive me, but 
my mother hated the French !” 

M. Latouche Treville, who had commanded at Bou- 

1. Confidential. Trustworthy. 


The Life of Nelson 


3113 


logne, commanded now at Toulon. ‘ ‘ He was sent for on 
purpose,” said Nelson, “as he beat me at Boulogne, to 
beat me again: but he seems very loth to try.” One day, 
while the main body of our fleet was out of sight of land, 
Rear-Admiral Campbell, reconnoitering with the Cano¬ 
pus, Donegal , and Amazon, stood in close to the port, 
and M. Latouelie, taking advantage of a breeze which 
sprung up, pushed out, with four ships of the line, and 
three heavy frigates, and chased him about four leagues. 
The Frenchman, delighted at having found himself in so 
novel a situation, published a boastful account; affirm¬ 
ing that he had given chase to the whole British fleet, 
and that Nelson had fled before him. Nelson thought it 
due to the Admiralty to send home a copy of the Vic¬ 
tory’s log upon this occasion. “As for himself,” he 
said, “if his character was not established by that time 
for not being apt to run away, it was not worth his while 
to put the world right.”—“If this fleet gets fairly up 
with M. Latouche, ” said he to one of his correspondents, 
“his letter, with all his ingenuity, must be different from 
his last. We had fancied that we had chased him into 
Toulon; for, blind as I am, I could see his water-line, 
when he clewed his topsails up, shutting in Sepet. 1 But, 
from the time of his meeting Captain Hawker in the 
Isis, 2 I never heard of his acting otherwise than as a 
poltroon and a liar. Contempt is the best mode of treat¬ 
ing such a miscreant.” In spite, however, of contempt, 
the impudence of this Frenchman half angered him. He 
said to his brother: “You will have seen Latouche’s 
letter; how he chased me, and how I ran. I keep it; and 
if I take him, by God he shall eat it!” 

1. Shutting in Sepet (or C<5pet). Running inside the headland 
which protects Toulon harbor. The sense of the passage is that Tr6- 
vllle carried a heavy press of sail till he got safely back into port. 

2. Meeting Captain Hawker in the Isis. An indecisive frigate action 
off New York, June 7, 17S0. 


314 


The Life of Nelson 


Nelson, who used to say, that in sea affairs nothing is 
impossible, and nothing improbable, feared the more that 
this Frenchman might get out and elude his vigilance; 
because he \yas so especially desirous of catching him, 
and administering to him his own lying letter in a sand¬ 
wich. M. Latouche, however, escaped him in another 
way. He died, according to the French papers, in con¬ 
sequence of walking so often up to the signal post upon 
Sepet, to watch the British fleet. “I always pronounced 
that would be his death,” said Nelson. “If he had come 
out and fought me, it would at least have added ten 
years to my life.” The patience with which he had 
watched Toulon he spoke of, truly, as a perseverance at 
sea which had never been surpassed. From May, 1803, 
to August, 1805, he himself went cut of his ship but 
three times; each of those times was upon the King’s 
service, and neither time of absence exceeded an hour. 
In 1804, the Swift cutter going out with despatches was 
taken, and all the despatches and letters fell into the 
hands of the enemy. “A very pretty piece of work,” 
says Nelson. “I am not surprised at the capture, but 
am very much so that any despatches should be sent in a 
vessel with twenty-three men, not equal to cope with 
any row-boat privateer. The loss of the Hindostan 1 was 
great enough; but for importance it is lost in comparison 
with the probable knowledge the enemy will obtain of 
our connections with foreign countries. Foreigners for¬ 
ever say, and it is true, ‘We dare not trust England: 
one way or other we are sure to be committed.’ ” In a 
subsequent letter, speaking of the same capture, he says: 
“I find, my dearest Emma, that your picture is very 
much admired by the French Consul at Barcelona; and 
that he has not sent it to be admired, which I am sure it 

1. Tlindostan. A storesbip captured by the French April 2, 1804, 
the day before the loss of the Swift. 


The Life of Nelson 


315 


would be, by Bonaparte. They pretend that there were 
three pictures taken. I wish I had them; but they are 
all gone as irretrievably as the despatches, unless we may 
read them in a book, as we printed their correspondence 
from Egypt. But from us what can they find out ? That 
I love you most dearly, and hate the French most damn¬ 
ably. Dr. Scott went to Barcelona to try to get the pri¬ 
vate letters, but I fancy they are all gone to Paris. The 
Swedish and American Consuls told him that the French 
Consul had your picture and read your letters; and the 
doctor thinks one of them, probably, read the letters. 
By the master’s account of the cutter I would not have 
trusted a pair of old shoes in her. He tells me she did 
not sail, but was a good sea boat. I hope Mr. Marsden 
will not trust any more of my private letters in such a 
conveyance: if they choose to trust the affairs of the 
public in such a thing, I cannot help it.” 

While he was on this station, the weather had been so 
unusually severe, that, he said, the Mediterranean 
seemed altered. It was his rule never to contend with 
the gales; but either run to the southward, to escape 
their violence, or furl all the sails, and make the ships as 
easy as possible. The men, though he said flesh and 
blood could hardly stand it, continued in excellent health, 
which he ascribed, in great measure, to a plentiful sup¬ 
ply of lemons and onions. For himself, he thought he 
could only last till the battle was over. One battle more 
it was his hope that he might fight. “However,” said 
he, “whatever happens I have run a glorious race.” “A 
few months ’ rest, ’ ’ he says, ‘ ‘ I must have very soon. If 
I am in my grave, what are the mines of Peru to me? 
But to say the truth, I have no idea of killing myself. I 
may, with care, live yet to do good service to the State. 
My cough is very bad, and my side, where I was struck 
on the 14th of February, is very much swelled; at times 






316 


The Life of Nelson 


a lump as large as my fist, brought on occasionally by 
violent coughing. But I hope and believe my lungs are 
yet safe.” lie was afraid of blindness: and this was 
the only evil which he could not contemplate without un¬ 
happiness. More alarming symptoms he regarded with 
less apprehension; describing his own “shattered car¬ 
cass” as in the worst plight of any in the fleet: and he 
says, “I have felt the blood gushing up the left side of 
my head: and, the moment it covers the brain, I am fast 
asleep.” The fleet was in worse trim than the men: but 
when he compared it with the enemy’s, it was with a 
right English feeling. “The French fleet, 1 yesterday ,” 
said he, in one of his letters, “was to appearance in high 
feather, and as fine as paint could make them:—but 
when they may sail, or where they may go, I am very 
sorry to say is a secret I am not acquainted with. Our 
weather-beaten ships, I have no fear, will make their 
sides like a plum pudding.” “Yesterday,” he says, on 
another occasion, “a rear-admiral and seven sail of ships 
put. their nose outside the harbor. If they go on play¬ 
ing this game, some day we shall lay salt upon their 
tails.” 

Hostilities at length commenced between Great Britain 
and Spain. That country, whose miserable government 
made her subservient to France, was once more destined 
to lavish her resources and her blood in furtherance of 
the designs of a perfidious ally. The immediate occasion 
of the war was the seizure of four treasure ships by the 
English.—The act was perfectly justifiable; for those 
treasures were intended to furnish means for France; 
but the circumstances which attended it were as unhappy 

1. The French fleet. Tn the spring of 1R04 the French had eight 
ships ready at Toulon and two or three nearly so; Nelson had nine 
ships and three frigates, some of which, however, were kept con¬ 
stantly away on special service. 


The Life of Nelson 


317 


as they were unforeseen. Four frigates had been des¬ 
patched to intercept them. They met with an equal 
force. Resistance, therefore, became a point of honor on 
the part of the Spaniards, and one of their ships soon 
blew up with all on board. Had a stronger squadron 
been sent, this deplorable catastrophe might have been 
spared: a catastrophe which excited not more indigna¬ 
tion in Spain, than it did grief in those who were its un¬ 
willing instruments, in the English government and in 
the English people. On the 5th of October this unhappy 
affair occurred, and Nelson was not apprised of it till 
the 12th of the ensuing month. He had, indeed, suffi¬ 
cient mortification at the breaking out of this Spanish 
war; an event which, it might reasonably have been sup¬ 
posed, would amply enrich the officers of the Mediterra¬ 
nean fleet, and repay them for the severe and unremit¬ 
ting duty on which they had been so long employed. But 
of this harvest they were deprived; for Sir John Orde 
was sent with a small squadron, and a separate command, 
to Cadiz. Nelson’s feelings were never wounded so deeply 
as now. “I had thought,” said he,” writing in the first 
flow and freshness of indignation ; *‘1 fancied—but, nay; 
it must have been a dream, an idle dream;—yet, I confess 
it, I did fancy that I had done my country service; and 
thus they use me! And under what circumstances, and 
with what pointed aggravation! Yet, if I know my own 
thoughts, it is not for myself, or on my own account 
chiefly, that I feel the sting and disappointment. No! 
it is for my brave officers; for my noble-minded friends 
and comrades. Such a gallant set of fellows! Such a 
band of brothers! My heart swells at the thought of 
them! ” 

War between Spain and England was now declared; 
and, on the 18th of January, the Toulon fleet, having the 
Spaniards to co-operate whh them, put to sea. Nelson 






318 The Life of Nelson 

was at anchor off the coast of Sardinia, where the Mag¬ 
dalena islands form one of the finest harbors in the 
world, when, at three in the afternoon of the 19th, the 
Active and Seahorse frigates brought this long hoped 
for intelligence. They had been close to the enemy at ten 
on the preceding night, but lost sight of them in about 
four hours. The fleet immediately unmoored and weighed, 
and at six in the evening ran through the strait between 
Biche and Sardinia; a passage so narrow, that the ships 
could only pass one at a time, each following the stern 
lights of its leader. From the position of the enemy, 
when they were last seen, it was inferred that they must 
be bound round the southern end of Sardinia. Signal 
was made the next morning to prepare for battle. Bad 
weather came on, baffling the one fleet in its object, and 
the other in its pursuit. Nelson beat about the Sicilian 
seas for ten days, without obtaining any other informa¬ 
tion of the enemy, than that one of their ships had put 
into Ajaccio dismasted; and having seen that Sardinia, 
Naples, and Sicily were safe, believing Egypt to be their 
destination, for Egypt he ran. The disappointment and 
distress which he had‘experienced in his former pursuits 
of the French through the same seas were now renewed; 
but Nelson, while he endured these anxious and unhappy 
feelings, was still consoled by the same confidence as on 
the former occasion—that, though his judgment might 
be erroneous, under all circumstances he was right in 
having formed it. “I have consulted no man,” said he 
to the Admiralty: “therefore the whole blame of ignor¬ 
ance in forming my judgment must rest with me. I 
would allow no man to take from me an atom of my glory, 
had I fallen in with the French fleet; nor do I desire any 
man to partake any of the responsibility. All is mine, 
right or wrong.” Then stating the grounds upon which 
he had proceeded, he added: “At this moment of sorrow, 


The Life of Nelson 


319 


I still feel that l have acted right.” In the same spirit 
he said to Sir Alexander Ball: “When I call to remem¬ 
brance all the circumstances, I approve, if nobody else 
does, of my own conduct.” 

Baffled thus, he bore up for Malta, and met intelli¬ 
gence from Naples that the French, having been dis¬ 
persed in a gale, had put back to Toulon. From the same 
quarter he learned that a great number of saddles and 
muskets had been embarked: and this confirmed him 
in his opinion that Egypt was their destination. That 
they should have put back in consequence of storms 
which he had weathered, gave him a consoling sense of 
British superiority. “These gentlemen,” said he, “are 
not accustomed to a Gulf of Lyons gale; we have buffeted 
them for one-and-twenty months, and not carried away a 
spar.” He, however, who had so often braved these 
gales, was now, though not mastered by them, vexatiously 
thwarted and impeded; and, on February 27th, he was 
compelled to anchor in Pulla Bay, in the Gulf of Cagliari. 
From the 21st of January, the fleet had remained ready 
for battle, without a bulkhead up, 1 night or day. He 
anchored here that he might not be driven to leeward. As 
soon as the weather moderated he put to sea again; and, 
after again beating about against contrary winds, an¬ 
other gale drove him to anchor in the Gulf of Palma, 
on the 8th of March. This he made his rendezvous; he 
knew that the French troops still remained embarked, 
and, wishing to lead them into a belief that he was sta¬ 
tioned upon the Spanish coast, he made his appearance 
off Barcelona with that intent. About the end of the 
month, he began to fear that the plan of the expedition 
was abandoned; and, sailing once more towards his old 
station off Toulon, on the 4th of April, he met the Phoebe, 

1. Without a bulkhead up. The bulkheads, or partitions dividing 
space below decks, were usually removed in clearing a ship for action. 


320 


The Life of Nelson 


with the news that Villeneuve 1 had put to sea on the last 
of March with eleven ships of the line, seven frigates, and 
two brigs. When last seen, they were steering toward 
the coast of Africa. Nelson first covered the channel 
between Sardinia and Barbary, so as to satisfy himself 
that Villeneuve was not taking the same route for Egypt 
which Ganteaume had taken before him, when he at¬ 
tempted to carry reinforcements 2 there. Certain of this, 
he bore up on the 7th for Palermo, lest the French should 
pass to the north of Corsica, and he despatched cruisers 
in all directions. On the 11th, he felt assured that they 
were not gone down the Mediterranean; and sending off 
frigates to Gibraltar, to Lisbon, and to Admiral Corn¬ 
wallis, who commanded the squadron off Brest, he en¬ 
deavored to get to the westward, beating against "west¬ 
erly winds. After five days, a neutral gave intelligence 
that the French had been seen off Cape de Gatte 3 on the 
7th. It was soon after ascertained that they had passed 

1. Villeneuve. Treville died August 20, 1804, thus, as Nelson put it, 
“giving me the slip.” Villeneuve succeeded to the command of the 
Toulon fleet in November. After his escape with the rear ships at 
the Battle of the Nile, Napoleon is said to have regarded him as born 
under a fortunate star. The movements of Villeneuve’s and Nelson’s 
fleets, from this point to Trafalgar, form an interesting study in naval 
strategy. Napoleon had 20 ships at Brest, 5 at Rochefort, and 10 at 
Toulon, besides about 28 Spanish vessels in the northern ports of 
Spain. To secure control of the English channel, it was necessary to 
entice away the British fleets watching these ports, and then 
rapidly to concentrate an overwhelming naval force against the British 
fleet guarding the English coast. Various methods of doing this had 
been proposed. The one now adopted was that Villeneuve should 
sail for the West Indies, drawing Nelson after him, join there the 
French fleets escaped from northern ports, and return at once to attack 
the British Channel fleet. The plan was not altogether unfeasible, but 
failed through Villeneuve’s incapacity. 

2. Reinforcements. Admiral Ganteaume left Brest with seven ships- 
of-the-line and 5000 troops, but reached Egypt with only a part of his 
force and too late to be of assistance. 

3. Cape de Gatte (or de Gata), On the Spanish coast east of 
Gibraltar. 





The Life of Nelson 


321 


the Straits of Gibraltar on the day following; and Nelson, 
knowing that they might already be half way to Ire¬ 
land, or to Jamaica, exclaimed, that he was miserable. 
One gleam of comfort only came across him in the reflec¬ 
tion, that his vigilance had rendered it impossible for 
them to undertake any expedition in the Mediterranean. 

Eight days after this certain intelligence had been ob¬ 
tained, he described his state of mind thus forcibly, in 
writing to the Governor of Malta: “My good fortune, 
my dear Ball, seems flown away. I cannot get a fair 
wind, or even a side wind. Dead foul! Dead foul! But 
my mind is fully made up what to do when I leave the 
Straits, supposing there is no certain account of the 
enemy’s destination. I believe this ill-luck will go near 
to kill me; but, as these are times for exertion, I must 
not be cast down, whatever I may feel.” In spite of 
every exertion which could be made by all the zeal and 
all the skill of British seamen, he did not get in sight of 
Gibraltar till the 30th of April; and the wind was then 
so adverse, that it was impossible to pass the Gut. He 
anchored in Mazari Bay, on the Barbary shore; obtained 
supplies from Tetuan; and when, on the 5th, a breeze 
from the eastward sprang up at last, sailed once more, 
hoping to hear of the enemy from Sir John Orde, who 
commanded off Cadiz, or from Lisbon. “If nothing is 
heard of them, ’ ’ said he to the Admiralty, ‘ ‘ I shall prob¬ 
ably think the rumors which have been spread are true, 
that their object is the West Indies; and, in that case, I 
think it my duty to follow them,—or to the Antipodes, 
should I believe that to be their destination.” At the 
time when this resolution was taken, the physician of 
the fleet had ordered him to return to England before 
the hot months. 

Nelson had formed his judgment of their destination, 
and made up his mind accordingly, when Donald Camp- 


1 


322 The Life of Nelson 

bell, at that time an admiral in the Portuguese service, 
the same person who had given important tidings to Earl 
St. Vincent of the movements of that fleet from which he 
won his title, a second time gave timely and momentous 
intelligence to the flag of his country. He went on board 
the Victory, and communicated to Nelson his certain 
knowledge that the combined Spanish and French fleets 
were bound for the West Indies. Hitherto all things had 
favored the enemy. While the British Commander was 
beating up against strong southerly and westerly gales, 
they had wind to their wish from the N. E., and had 
done in nine days what he was a whole month in accom¬ 
plishing. Villeneuve, finding the Spaniards at Cartha- 
gcna were not in a state of equipment to join him, dared 
not wait, but hastened on to Cadiz. Sir John Orde 
necessarily retired at his approach. Admiral Gravina, 
with six Spanish ships of the line, and two French, came 
out to him, and they sailed without a moment ’s loss of 
time. They had about three thousand French troops on 
board, and fifteen hundred Spanish: six hundred were 
under orders, expecting them at Martinique, and one 
thousand at Guadaloupe. General Lauriston commanded 
the troops. The combined fleet now consisted of eighteen 
sail of the line, six forty-four gun frigates, one of twenty- 
six guns, three corvettes, and a brig. They were joined 
afterwards by two new French line of battle ships, and 
one forty-four. Nelson pursued them with ten sail of the 
line and three frigates. “Take you a Frenchman 
apiece,” said he to his Captains, “and leave me the 
Spaniards,—when I haul down my colors, I expect you 
to do the .same,—and not till then.” 

The enemy had five-and-thirty days’ start; but he cal¬ 
culated that he should gain eight or ten days upon them 
by his exertions. May 15th he made Madeira, and on 
June 4th reached Barbados, whither he had sent des- 




The Life of Nelson 323 

patches before him; and where he found Admiral Coch¬ 
rane, with two ships, part of our squadron in those seas 
being at Jamaica. He found here also accounts that the 
combined fleets had been seen from St. Lucia on the 28th, 
standing to the southward, and that Tobago and Trini¬ 
dad were their objects. This Nelson doubted; but he 
was alone in his opinion, and yielded it with these fore¬ 
boding words—‘‘If your intelligence proves false, you 
lose me the French fleet.” Sir William Myers offered to 
embark here with two thousand troops:—they were taken 
on board, and the next morning he sailed for Tobago. 
Here accident confirmed the false intelligence which had, 
whether from intention or error, misled him. A mer¬ 
chant at Tobago, in the general alarm, not knowing 
whether this fleet was friend or foe, sent out a schooner 
to reconnoiter, and acquaint him by signal. The signal 
which he had chosen happened to be the very one which 
had been appointed by Colonel Shipley of the engineers 
to signify that the enemy were at Trinidad; and as this 
was at the close of day, there was no opportunity of dis¬ 
covering the mistake. An American brig was met with 
about the same time; the master of which, with that pro¬ 
pensity to deceive the English and assist the French in 
any manner, which has been but too common among his 
countrymen, affirmed, that he had been boarded off 
Granada a few days before by the French, who were 
standing towards the Bocas of Trinidad. 1 This fresh 
intelligence removed all doubts. The ships were cleared 
for action before daylight, and Nelson entered the Bay 
of Paria on the 7th, hoping and expecting to make the 
mouths of the Orinoco as famous in the annals of the 
British Navy as those of the Nile. Not an enemy was 
there; and it was discovered that accident and artifice 

1. Bocas of Trinidad. The Boca del Dragon, or Serpent’s Mouth, 
is the strait between Trinidad and the coast of South America. 




324 


The Life of Nelson 




had combined to lead him so far to leeward, that there 
could have been little hope of fetching to windward of 
Granada for any other fleet. Nelson, however, with skill 
and exertions never exceeded, and almost unexampled, 
bore for that island. 

Advices met him on the way, that the combined fleets, 
having captured the Diamond Rock, 1 were then at Mar¬ 
tinique, on the 4th, and were expected to sail that night 
for the attack of Granada. On the 9th, Nelson arriv'd 
olf that island, and there learned that they had passed 
to leeward of Antigua the preceding day, and taken a 
homeward-bound convoy. Had it not been for false in¬ 
formation, upon which Nelson had acted reluctantly, and 
in opposition to his own judgment, he would have been 
off Fort Royal 2 just as they were leaving it, and the 
battle would have been fought on the spot where Rodney 
defeated De Grasse. 3 This he remembered in his vexa¬ 
tion ; but he had saved the colonies and above two hun¬ 
dred ships laden for Europe, which would else have 
fallen into the enemy’s hands; and he had the satisfac¬ 
tion of knowing that the mere terror of his name had 
effected this, and had put to flight the allied enemies, 
whose force nearly doubled that before which they fled. 
That they were flying back to Europe he believed, and 
for Europe he steered in pursuit on the 13th, having 
disembarked the troops at Antigua, and taking with him 
the Spartiate, 74: the only addition to the squadron with 
which he was pursuing so superior a force. Five days 
afterwards the Amazon brought intelligence, that she 

1. Diamond Rock. A small Island, fortified by the British, off the 
southern coast of the French Island of Martinique. 

2. Fort Royal. The former name of Fort de France, in Martinique. 
Villcneuve arrived at Martinique May 20 and left June 8 ; Nelson ar¬ 
rived at Barbados (the second island south of Martinique) June 4, 
having gained ten days in crossing. 

3. Defeated De Grasse. See p. 53, note 1. 


The Life of Nelson 


325 


had spoke a schooner who had seen them, on the evening 
of the 15th, steering to the north; and, by computation, 
eighty-seven leagues off. Nelson’s diary at this time 
denotes his great anxiety, and his perpetual and all- 
observing vigilance. ‘ * June 21, Midnight.—Nearly calm; 
saw three planks which I think came from the French 
fleet. Very miserable, which is very foolish.” On the 
17th of July, he came in sight of Cape St. Vincent, and 
steered for Gibraltar. “June 18th,” his diary says, 
‘ ‘ Cape Spartel in sight, but no French fleet, nor any in¬ 
formation about them. How sorrowful this makes me! 
but I cannot help myself.” The next day he anchored 
at Gibraltar, and on the 20th, says he, “I went on shore 
for the first time since June 16th, 1803; and from hav¬ 
ing my foot out of the Victory, two years, wanting ten 
days. ’ n 

Here he communicated with his old friend Colling- 
wood, who, having been detached with a squadron, when 
the disappearance of the combined fleets, and of Nelson 
in their pursuit, was known in England, had taken his 
station off Cadiz. He thought that Ireland was the 
enemy’s ultimate object; that they would now liberate 
the Ferrol squadron, which was blocked up by Sir Rob¬ 
ert Calder, call for the Rochefort ships, and then appear 
off Ushant with three or four and thirty sail; there to be 
joined by the Brest fleet. With this great force he sup¬ 
posed they would make for Ireland,—the real mark and 

1. Two years, wanting ten days. “After an unremitting cruise 
of two long years in the stormy Gulf of Lyons, to have proceeded 
without going into port to Alexandria, from Alexandria to the West 
Indies, from the West Indies back again to Gibraltar, to have kept 
your ships afloat, your rigging standing, and your crews in health 
and spirits—is an effort such as never was realized in former times, 
nor, I doubt, will ever again be repeated by any other admiral. You 
have protected us for two long years, and you have saved the West 
Indies by only a few days.”—Letter from Elliot, Minister to Naples, 
Mahan’s Life of Nelson, Vol. II, p. 310. 


326 


The Life of Nelson 


bent of all their operations; and their flight to the West 
Indies, he thought, had been merely undertaken to take 
off Nelson’s force, which was the great impediment to 
their undertaking. 

Collingwood was gifted with great political penetra¬ 
tion. As yet, however, all was conjecture concerning the 
enemy; and Nelson, having victualled and watered at 
Tetuan, stood for Ceuta on the 24th, still without infor¬ 
mation of their course. Next day intelligence arrived 
that the Curieux brig 1 had seen them on the 19th, stand¬ 
ing to the northward. He proceeded olf Cape St. Vin¬ 
cent, rather cruising for intelligence, than knowing 
whither to betake himself; and here a case occurred that, 
more than any other event in real history, resembles 
those whimsical proofs of sagacity which Voltaire, in his 
“Zadig, ” 2 has borrowed from the Orientals. One of our 
frigates spoke an American who, a little to the westward 
of the Azores, had fallen in with an armed vessel, ap¬ 
pearing to be a dismasted privateer, deserted by her crew, 
which had been run on board by another ship, and had 
been set fire to; but the fire had gone out. A log-book, 
and a few seamen’s jackets, were found in the cabin; and 
these were brought to Nelson. The log-book closed with 
these words: ‘ ‘ Two large vessels in the W. N. W.; ’ ’ and 
this led him to conclude that the vessel had been an 
English privateer, cruising off the Western Islands. But 
there was in this book a scrap of dirty paper, filled with 
figures. Nelson, immediately upon seeing it, observed 

1. The Curieux brig. This vessel, sent ahead by Nelson on June 12, 
had sighted and passed the French fleet on June 19, and brought 
word to England that Villeneuve was heading for the northern ports 
of Spain. This timely warning led to the despatch of Calder’s fleet, 
referred to in the next chapter. 

2. Zadig. An Arab of remarkable detective powers in Voltaire’s 
romance of the same name; an early prototype of Poe’s Dupin and 
Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes. 


The Life of Nelson 


327 


that the figures were written by a Frenchman; and, after 
studying this for a while, said: “ I can explain the whole. 
The jackets are of French manufacture, and prove that 
the privateer was in possession of the enemy. She had 
been chased and taken b^ the two ships that were seen 
in the W. N. W. The prize-master, going on board in 
a hurry, forgot to take with him his reckoning j 1 there is 
none in the log-book; and the dirty paper contains her 
work for the number of days since the privateer last left 
Corvo: with an unaccounted-for run, which I take to 
have been the chase, in his endeavor to find out her situa¬ 
tion by back-reckonings. By some mismanagement, I con¬ 
clude, she was run on board of by one of the enemy’s 
ships, and dismasted. Not liking delay (for I am satis¬ 
fied that those two ships were the advanced ones of the 
French squadron), and fancying we were close at their 
heels, they set fire to the vessel, and abandoned her in a 
hurry. If this explanation be correct, I infer from it, 
that they are gone more to the northward, and more to 
the northward I will look for them.” This course ac¬ 
cordingly he held, but still without success. Still perse¬ 
vering, and still disappointed, he returned near enough 
to Cadiz to ascertain that they were not there; traversed 
the Bay of Biscay; and then, as a last hope, stood over 
for the northwest coast of Ireland against adverse 
winds; till, on the evening of the 12th of August, he 
learned that they had not been heard of there. Frus¬ 
trated thus in all his hopes, after a pursuit to which, for 
its extent, rapidity, and perseverance, no parallel can be 
produced, he judged it best to reinforce the Channel fleet 
with his squadron, lest the enemy, as Collingwood appre¬ 
hended, should bear down upon Brest with their whole 
collected force. On the 15th, he joined Admiral Corn- 

1. Reckoning. The ship’s latitude and longitude at the time of her 
capture. 


328 


The Life of Nelson 


wallis off Ushant. 1 No news had yet been obtained of the 
enemy; and, on the same evening, he received orders to 
proceed, with the Victory and Superb, to Portsmouth. 

1. Ushant. An island off the northwest coast of France, at the 
entrance to the English channel. 


/ 


CHAPTER IX 


Sir Robert Calder falls in with the Combined Fleets—They form 
a Junction with the Ferrol Squadron, and get into Cadiz—-Nelson 
is reappointed to the Command—Battle of Trafalgar—Victory, and 
Death of Nelson. 

At Portsmouth, Nelson at length found news of the 
combined fleet. Sir Robert Calder, who had been sent 
out to intercept their return, had fallen in with them on 
the 22d of July, sixty leagues west of Cape Finisterre. 
Their force consisted of twenty sail of the line, three 
fifty-gun ships, five frigates, and two brigs; his, of fifteen 
line of battle ships, two frigates, a cutter, and a lugger. 
After an action of four hours he had captured an eighty- 
four and a seventy-four, and then thought it necessary to 
bring-to the squadron, for the purpose of securing their 
prizes. The hostile fleets remained in sight of each other 
till the 26tli, when the enemy bore away. The capture of 
two ships from so superior a force, would have been con¬ 
sidered as no inconsiderable victory a few years earlier; 
but Nelson had introduced a new era in our naval his¬ 
tory; and the nation felt, respecting this action, as he 
had felt on a somewhat similar occasion. 1 They regretted 
that Nelson, with his eleven ships, had not been in Sir 
Robert Calder’s place; and their disappointment was 
generally and loudly expressed. 

Frustrated as his own hopes had been, Nelson had yet 
the high satisfaction of knowing that his judgment had 
never been more conspicuously approved, and that he had 
rendered essential service to liis country, by driving the 

1. Similar occasion. See p. 107. 

329 





330 


The Life of Nelson 


enemy from those islands, where they expected there 
could be no force capable of opposing them. The West 
India merchants in London, as men whose interests were 
more immediately benefited, appointed a deputation to 
express their thanks for his great and judicious exer¬ 
tions. It was now his intention to rest 1 awhile from his 
labors, and recruit himself, after all his fatigues and 
cares, in the society of those whom he loved. All his 
stores were brought up from the Victory, and he found 
in his house at Merton the enjoyment which he had an¬ 
ticipated. Many days had not elapsed before Captain 
Blackwood, on his way to London with despatches, called 
on him at five in the morning. Nelson, who was already 
dressed, exclaimed, the moment he saw him : “I am sure 
you bring me news of the French and Spanish fleets! I 
think I shall yet have to beat them ! ’ ’ They had refitted 
at Vigo, after the indecisive action with Sir Robert 
Calder; then proceeded to Ferrol, brought out the squad¬ 
ron from thence, and with it entered Cadiz in safety ! 2 
“Depend on it, Blackwood,” he repeatedly said, “I shall 
yet give M. Villeneuve a drubbing.” But, when Black¬ 
wood had left him, he wanted resolution to declare his 
wishes to Lady Hamilton and his sisters, and endeavored 


1. Intention to rest. Nelson remained in England only twenty-five 
days, from August 19 to September 15. His first and only meeting 
with the Duke of Wellington occurred at this time, in an anteroom of 
the Secretary of State’s office. Nelson at first failed to recognize the 
General, and according to Wellington’s later report he monopolized 
the conversation, “in a style so vain and silly as to surprise and 
almost disgust me.” But on learning the other’s identity, Nelson’s 
“charlatan style vanished, and he talked like an officer and a states¬ 
man. ... I don’t know that I ever had a conversation that in¬ 
terested me more.” 

2. Entered Cadiz in safety. Napoleon’s urgent instructions to Vil¬ 
leneuve at Ferrol were that he should proceed northward to join the 
fleet at Brest. This Villeneuve attempted, hut became alarmed by 
false news of a superior British force ahead of him, and turned 
southward for Cadiz, where he arrived August 20. 



The Life of Nelson 


331 


to drive away the thought. He had done enough,, he 
said: “Let the man trudge it who has lost his budget!” 
His countenance belied his lips: and as he w T as pacing 
one of the walks in the garden, which he used to call the 
quarter-deck, Lady Hamilton came up to him, and said 
she saw he was uneasy. He smiled, and said: “No, he 
was as happy as possible; he was surrounded by his 
family, his health was better since he had been on shore, 
and he would not give sixpence to call the King his 
uncle.” She replied, that she did not believe him, that 
she knew he was longing to get at the combined fleets, 
that he considered them as his own property, that he 
would be miserable if any man but himself did the busi¬ 
ness, and that he ought to have them, as the price and 
reward of his two years’ long watching, and his hard 
chase. “Nelson,” said she, “however we may lament 
your absence, offer your services; they will be accepted, 
and you will gain a quiet heart by it; you will have a 
glorious victory, and then you may return here, and be 
happy.” He looked at her with tears in his eyes:— 
“Brave Emma!—Good Emma!—If there were more 
Emmas, there would be more Nelsons.” 1 

His services were as willingly accepted as they were 
offered; and Lord Barham, 2 giving him the list of the 
Navy, desired him to choose his own officers. “Choose 
yourself, my lord,” was his reply: “the same spirit actu¬ 
ates the whole profession; you cannot choose wrong. ’ ’ 
Lord Barham then desired him to say what ships, and 
how manv, he would wish in addition to the fleet which 
he was going to command, and said they should follow 

1. More Nelsons. This conversation is taken from Harrison’s Life 
of Nelson. Lady Hamilton’s influence over Nelson’s decision is evi¬ 
dently exaggerated, for there is proof that his choice had already been 
made and that Blackwood’s call was by appointment. 

2. Lord Barham. Successor to Earl St. Vincent as First Lord of 
the Admiralty. He was a retired naval officer, over eighty years old. 


332 


The Life of Nelson 


him as soon as each was ready. No appointment was 
ever more in unison with the feelings and judgment of 
the whole nation. They, like Lady Hamilton, thought 
that the destruction of the combined fleets ought prop¬ 
erly to be Nelson’s work; that he, who had been 

‘‘Half around the sea-girt ball, 

The hunter of the recreant Gaul, ”* 

ought to reap the spoils of the chase, which he had 
watched so long, and so perseveringly pursued. 

Unremitting exertions were made to equip the ships 
which he had chosen, and especially to refit the Victory, 
which was once more to bear his flag. Before he left Lon¬ 
don, he called at his upholsterer’s, where the coffin which 
Captain Ilallowell had given him was deposited, and de¬ 
sired that his history might be engraven upon the lid, 
saying, it was highly probable he might want it on his 
return. He seemed, indeed, to have been impressed with 
an expectation that he should fall in battle. In a letter to 
his brother, written immediately after his return, he had 
said : “We must not talk of Sir Robert Calder’s battle.— 
I might not have done so much with my small force. If 
I had fallen in with them, you might probably have been 
a lord before I wished; for I know they meant to make a 
dead set at the Victory.” Nelson had once regarded the 
prospect of death with gloomy satisfaction: it was when 
he anticipated the upbraidings of his wife, and the dis¬ 
pleasure of his venerable father. The state of his feelings 
now was expressed, in his private journal, in these words: 
“Friday night (September 13th) at half-past ten, I 
drove from dear, dear Merton; where I left all which I 
hold dear in this world, to go to serve my king and 

* Sonps of Trnfnlenr.— Southey’s Note. The Son* 7.9 of Trafalpar were 
written by John Wilson Croker, Secretary of the Admiralty, to whom 
Southey dedicated his Life of Nelson. 


The Life of Nelson 


333 


country. May the great God, whom I adore, enable me 
to fulfil the expectations of my country! And, if it is 
His good pleasure that I should return, my thanks will 
never cease being offered up to the throne of His mercy. 
If it is His good providence to cut short my days upon 
earth, I bow with the greatest submission; relying that 
He will protect those so dear to me, whom I may leave 
behind! His will be done, Amen ! Amen ! Amen!” 

Early on the following morning he reached Ports¬ 
mouth ; and, having despatched his business on shore, 
endeavored to elude the populace by taking a by-way to 
the beach, but a crowd collected in his train, pressing 
forward to obtain a sight of his face: many were in 
tears, and many knelt down before him, and blessed him 
as he passed. England has had many heroes, but never 
one who so entirely possessed the love of his fellow-coun¬ 
trymen as Nelson. All men knew that his heart was as 
humane as it was fearless; that there was not in his na¬ 
ture the slightest alloy of selfishness or cupidity; but that, 
with perfect and entire devotion, he served his country 
with all his heart, and with all his soul, and with all his 
strength; and, therefore, they loved him as truly and as 
fervently as he loved England. They pressed upon the 
parapet, to gaze after him when his barge pushed off, 
and he was returning their cheers by waving his hat. 
The sentinels, who endeavored to prevent them from tres¬ 
passing upon this ground, were wedged among the crowd; 
and an officer, who, not very prudently upon such an 
occasion, ordered them to drive the people down with 
their bayonets, was compelled speedily to retreat; for 
the people would not be debarred from gazing, till the 
last moment, upon the hero—the darling hero of 
England! 

He arrived off Cadiz on the 29th of September—his 
birthday. Fearing that, if the enemy knew his force, 


334 


The Life of Nelson 


they might be deterred from venturing to sea, he kept 
out of sight of land, desired Collingwood to fire no salute, 
and hoist no colors; and wrote to Gibraltar, to request 
that the force of the fleet might not be inserted there in 
the Gazette. His reception in the Mediterranean fleet 
was as gratifying as the farewell of his countrymen at 
Portsmouth: the officers, who came on board to welcome 
him, forgot his rank as commander, in their joy at see¬ 
ing him again. 1 On the day of his arrival, Villeneuve 
received orders to put to sea 2 the first opportunity. Ville¬ 
neuve, however, hesitated, when he heard that Nelson 
had resumed the command. He called a council of war; 
and their determination was, that it would not be ex¬ 
pedient to leave Cadiz, unless they had reason to believe 
themselves stronger by one-third than the British force. 
In the public measures of this country, secrecy is seldom 
practicable, and seldomer attempted: here, however, by 
the precautions of Nelson, and the wise measures of the 
Admiralty, the enemy were for once kept in ignorance; 
for, as the ships appointed to reinforce the Mediterra¬ 
nean fleet were despatched singly, each as soon as it was 
ready, their collected number was not stated in the news¬ 
papers, and their arrival was not known to the enemy. 
But the enemy knew that Admiral Louis, with six sail, 
had been detached for stores and water to Gibraltar. 
Accident also contributed to make the French Admiral 
doubt whether Nelson himself had actually taken the 
command. An American, lately arrived from England, 

1. Joy at seeing him again. The warmth of their welcome may have 
been Increased by relief from the iron discipline of Collingwood, who 
Is described as a capable and conscientious officer, but strict, uncom¬ 
municative, and tactless in handling his subordinates. 

2. Orders to put to .'*#*. Villeneuve was under instructions from 
napoleon to return to the Mediterranean. With his disorganized forces 
and x trained crews, however, he had little hope of escaping defeat, 
and delayed sailing until he heard that he was to be superseded in 
command and that his successor was already on the way to Cadiz. 


The Life of Nelson 


335 


maintained that it was impossible—for he had seen him 
only a few days before in London; and, at that time, 
there was no rumor of his going again to sea. 

The station which Nelson had chosen was some fifty or 
sixty miles to the west of Cadiz, near Cape St. Mary’s. 
At this distance he hoped to decoy the enemy out, while 
he guarded against the danger of being caught with a 
westerly wind near Cadiz, and driven within the Straits. 
The blockade of the port was rigorously enforced, in 
hopes that the combined fleet might be forced to sea by 
want. The Danish vessels, therefore, which were carry¬ 
ing provisions from the French ports in the bay, 1 under 
the name of Danish property, to all the little ports from 
Ayamonte to Algesiras, from whence they were conveyed 
in coasting boats to Cadiz, were seized. Without this 
proper exertion of power, the blockade would have been 
rendered nugatory, by the advantage thus taken of the 
neutral flag. The supplies from France were thus effectu¬ 
ally cut off. There was now every indication that the 
enemy would speedily venture out: officers and men were 
in the highest spirits at the prospect of giving them a de¬ 
cisive blow; such, indeed, as would put an end to all 
further contest upon the seas. Theatrical amusements 
were performed every evening in most of the ships: and 
God Save the King was the hymn with which the sports 
concluded. “I verily believe,” said Nelson (writing on 
the 6th of October), “that the country will soon be put 
to some expense on my account; either a monument, or a 
new pension and honors; for I have not the smallest 
doubt but that a very few days, almost hours, will put us 
in battle. The success no man can insure; but for the 
fighting them, if they can be got at, I pledge myself.— 
The sooner the better! I don’t like to have these things 
upon my mind.” 

1. Bay. Tlie Bay of Biscay. 


336 


The Life of Nelson 


At this time lie was not without some cause of anxiety: 
lie was in want of frigates,—the eyes of the fleet, as he 
always called them:—to the want of which the enemy 
before were indebted for their escape, and Bonaparte for 
his arrival in Egypt. He had only twenty-three ships,—• 
others were on the way,—but they might come too late; 
and, though Nelson never doubted of victory, mere vic¬ 
tory was not what he looked to, he wanted to annihilate 
the enemy’s fleet. The Carthagena squadron 1 might 
effect a junction with this fleet on the one side; and, on 
the other, it was to be expected that a similar attempt 
would be made by the French from Brest; in either case 
a formidable contingency to be apprehended by the 
blockading force. The Rochefort squadron did push out, 
and had nearly caught the Agamemnon and I’Aimable in 
their way to reinforce the British Admiral. Yet Nelson 
at this time weakened his own fleet. He had the un¬ 
pleasant task to perform of sending home Sir Robert 
Calder, whose conduct was to be made the subject of a 
court-martial, in consequence of the general dissatisfac¬ 
tion which had been felt and expressed at his imperfect 
victory. Sir Robert Calder, and Sir John Orde, Nelson 
believed to be the only two enemies 2 whom he had ever 
had in his profession;—and, from that sensitive delicacy 
which distinguished him, this made him the more scrupu¬ 
lously anxious to show every possible mark of respect 
and kindness to Sir Robert. He wished to detain him 
till after the expected action; when the services which he 
might perform, and the triumphant joy which would be 
excited, would leave nothing to be apprehended from an 

1. Carthagena squadron. It consisted of six Spanish ships-of-the- 
line. 

2. Two enemies. Calder had criticized Nelson's conduct at St. Vin¬ 
cent (see p. 134), and Orde had objected to Nelson’s appointment to 
commend the Mediterranean fleet before the Battle of the Nile (see 
p. 239 


The Life of Nelson 


337 


inquiry into the previous engagement. Sir Robert, how¬ 
ever, whose situation was very painful, did not choose to 
delay a trial, from the result of which he confidently ex¬ 
pected a complete justification: and Nelson, instead of 
sending him home in a frigate, insisted on his returning 
in his own ninety-gun ship; ill as such a ship could at 
that time be spared. Nothing could be more honorable 
than the feeling by which Nelson was influenced; but, at 
such a crisis, it ought not to have been indulged. 

On the 9th, Nelson sent Collingwood what he called, in 
his diary, the Nelson touch. 1 “I send you,” said he, 
“my plan of attack, as far as a man dare venture to 
guess at the very uncertain position the enemy may be 
found in: but it is to place you perfectly at ease respect¬ 
ing my intentions, and to give full scope to your judg¬ 
ment for carrying them into effect. We can, my dear 
Coll, have no little jealousies. We have only one great 
object in view, that of annihilating our enemies, and get¬ 
ting a glorious peace for our country. No man has more 
confidence in another than I have in you; and no man 
will render your services more justice than your very 

1. The Nelson touch. This phrase, which appears also in letters to 
Lady Hamilton, refers to the Memorandum of October 9th, intended 
at first for Collingwood only, but afterward sent to all the captains 
of the fleet. It provided plans for attack from either the windward 
(see diagram, p. 349) or the leeward, assuming the relative strength to 
be 40 British ships against 40 of the enemy. In either case, Colling- 
wood’s division was to attack the enemy's rear, while Nelson fell upon 
the center (presumably containing the French flagship) and cut it off 
from the ships in the van. With slight changes, notably uniting the 
small advanced (in reality a reserve) squadron with Nelson’s so as to 
bring all forces into action at once, the plan for attack from the wind¬ 
ward was carried out in the battle. Its advantages may he said to lie 
(1) in the division of forces and freedom of action granted to the 
second in command, thus avoiding the difliculty of controlling so large a 
fleet as a unit; (2) in the concentration on rear and center, thus break¬ 
ing up the enemy’s line and neutralizing its numerical superiority ; and 
(3) in its adaptability to modification under the exigencies of actual 
conflict. It may be regarded as the product of Nelson's ripest expe¬ 
rience and genius. 



338 


The Life of Nelson 


old friend Nelson and Bronte.” The order of sailing 
was to be the order of battle; the fleet in two lines, with 
an advance squadron of eight of the fastest sailing two- 
deckers. The second in command, having the entire 
direction of his line, was to break through the enemy, 
about the twelfth ship from their rear: lie 1 would lead 
through the center, and the advanced squadron was to 
cut off three or four ahead of the center. This plan 
was to be adapted to the strength of the enemy, so that 
they should always be one-fourth superior to those whom 
they cut off. Nelson said, “That his admirals and cap¬ 
tains, knowing his precise object to be that of a close and 
decisive action, would supply any deficiency of signals, 
and act accordingly. In case signals cannot be seen or 
clearly understood, no captain can do w r rojig if he places 
his ship alongside that of an enemy.” One of the last 
orders of this admirable man was, that the name and 
family of every officer, seaman, and marine, who might 
be killed or wounded in action, should be, as soon as pos¬ 
sible, returned to him, in order to be transmitted to the 
Chairman of the Patriotic Fund, that the case might be 
taken into consideration, for the benefit of the sufferer or 
his family. 

About half-past nine in the morning of the 19th, the 
Mars, being the nearest to the fleet of ships which formed 
the line of communication with the frigates in shore, re¬ 
peated the signal, that the enemy were coming out of port. 
The wind was at this time very light, with partial breezes, 
mostly from the S. S. W. Nelson ordered the signal to be 
made for a chase in the southeast quarter. About two, * 
the repeating ships announced that the enemy were at 
sea. All night the British fleet continued under all sail, 
steering to the southeast. At daybreak they were in the 
entrance of the Straits, but the enemy were not in sight. 

1. He. Nelson, with the main or windward division. 



The Life of Nelson 


339 


About seven, one of the frigates made signal that the 
enemy were bearing north. Upon this the Victory liove- 
to; and shortly afterwards Nelson made sail again to the 
northward. In the afternoon the wind blew fresh from 
the southwest, and the English began to fear that the foe 
might be forced to return to port. A little before sunset, 
however, Blackwood, in the Euryalus, telegraphed 1 that 
they appeared determined to go to the westward.—‘‘And 
that,” said the Admiral in his diary, “they shall not do, 
if it is in the power of Nelson and Bronte to prevent 
them.” Nelson had signified to Blackwood that he de¬ 
pended upon him to keep sight of the enemy. They were 
observed so well, that all their motions were made known 
to him; and, as they wore twice, he inferred that they 
were aiming to keep the port of Cadiz open, and would 
retreat there as soon as they saw the British fleet: for this 
reason he was very careful not to approach near enough 
to be seen by them during the night. At daybreak the 
combined fleets were distinctly seen from the Victory’s 
deck, formed in a close line of battle ahead, on the star¬ 
board tack, about twelve miles to leeward, and standing 
to the south. Our fleet consisted of twenty-seven sail of 
the line and four frigates; theirs of thirty-three and seven 
large frigates. Their superiority was greater in size and 
weight of metal 2 than in numbers. They had four thou¬ 
sand troops on board; and the best riflemen who could 
be procured, many of them Tyrolese, were dispersed 
through the ships. Little did the Tyrolese, and little 
did the Spaniards, at that day, imagine what horrors the 

1. Telegraphed. This word, taken directly from Nelson’s papers, 
was formerly the term commonly applied to flag signaling between 

ships at sea. 

2. Size and tveiglit of metal. The Allies had a total of 2G2G guns, 
with four ships of 100 to 130 guns ; the British had 2148 guns, with 
seven ships of 98 to 100. Most of the other ships on both sides 
were 74’s. 





340 


The Life of Nelson 


wicked tyrant whom they served was preparing for their 
country. 1 

Soon after daylight Nelson came upon deck. The 21st 
of October was a festival in his family, because on that 
day his uncle, Captain Suckling, in the Dreadnought , 
with two other line of battle ships, had beaten off a 
French squadron of four sail of the line and three 
frigates. Nelson, with that sort of superstition from 
which few persons are entirely exempt, had more than 
once expressed his persuasion that this was to be the 
day of his battle also; and he was well pleased at seeing 
his prediction about to be verified. The wind was now 
from the west, light breezes, witli a long heavy swell. 
Signal was made to bear down upon the enemy in two 
lines; and the fleet set all sail. Collingwood, in the Royal 
Sovereign , led the lee line of thirteen ships; the Victory 
led the weather line of fourteen. Having seen that all 
was as it should be, Nelson retired to his cabin, and 
wrote the following prayer: 

“May the great God, whom I worship, grant to my 
country, and for the benefit of Europe in general, a 
great and glorious victory; and may no misconduct in 
any one tarnish it! and may humanity after victory be 
the predominant feature in the British fleet! For my¬ 
self individually, I commit my life to Him that made 
me; and may His blessing alight on my endeavors for 
serving my country faithfully! To Him I resign my¬ 
self, and the just cause which is entrusted to me to 
defend. Amen, Amen, Amen.” 

Having thus discharged his devotional duties, he an- 

1. Preparing for their country. The inhabitants of Tyrol in 1809 
revolted against Bavaria and aided France, but on the conclusion of 
peace they were forced by France to go back under Bavarian rule. 
In Spain, Napoleon overthrew the wretched Bourbon monarchy and 
in 1808 set his brother Joseph on the throne. The people, however, 
fought desperately against French control. 


The Life of Nelson 341 

nexed, in the same diary, the following remarkable writ¬ 
ing: 

“October 21st, 1805.— Then in sight of the combined 

fleets of France and Spain, distant about ten miles . 

“ Whereas the eminent services of Emma Hamilton, 
widow of the Right Honorable Sir William Hamilton, 
have been of the very greatest service to my King and my 
country, to my knowledge, without ever receiving any 
reward from either our King or country. 

“First, That she obtained the King of Spain’s letter, 
in 1796, to his brother, the King of Naples, acquainting 
him of his intention to declare war against England; 
from which letter the ministry sent out orders to the 
then Sir John Jervis, to strike a stroke, if opportunity 
offered, against either the arsenals of Spain or her fleets. 
That neither of these was done is not the fault of Lady 
Hamilton; the opportunity might have been offered. 

‘ ‘ Secondly: The British fleet under my command could 
never have returned the second time to Egypt, had not 
Lady Hamilton’s influence with the Queen of Naples 
caused letters to be wrote to the governor of Syracuse, 
that he was to encourage the fleet’s being supplied with 
everything, should they put into any port in Sicily. We 
put into Syracuse, and received every supply; went to 
Egypt, and destroyed the French fleet. 

‘ ‘ Could I have rewarded these services, I would not now 
have called upon my country; but as that has not been in 
my power, I leave Emma Lady Hamilton therefore a 
legacy to my King and country, that they will give her 
an ample provision 1 to maintain her rank in life. 

1. Ample provision. Lady Hamilton’s claims were never recognized 
by the Government. Though provided with about £2000 a year from 
the estates of Sir William Hamilton and Nelson, she soon exhausted 
her funds and was imprisoned for debt. On her release she retired 
to Calais, where she died in 1815. 


342 


The Life of Nelson 


“I also leave to the beneficence of my country my 
adopted daughter, Horatia 1 Nelson Thompson; and I de¬ 
sire she will use in future the name of Nelson only. 

“ These are the only favors I ask of my King and 
country, at this moment when I am going to fight their 
battle. May God bless my King and country, and all 
those I hold dear! My relations it is needless to men¬ 
tion : they will, of course, be amply provided for. 

“Nelson and Bronte.” 

“Witness, 

Henry Blackwood. 

T. M. Hardy. ’ ’ 

The child of whom this writing speaks was believed to 
be his daughter, and so, indeed, he called her the last 
time that he pronounced her name. She was then about 
five years old, living at Merton, under Lady Hamilton’s 
care. The last minutes which Nelson passed at Merton 
were employed in praying over this child, as she lay 
sleeping. A portrait of Lady Hamilton hung in his 
cabin: and no Catholic ever beheld the picture of his 
patron saint with devouter reverence. The undisguised 
and romantic passion with which he regarded it amounted 
almost to superstition; and when the portrait was now 
taken down, in clearing for action, he desired’the men 
who removed it to “take care of his guardian angel.” 
In this manner he frequently spoke of it, as if he be¬ 
lieved there were a virtue in the image. He wore a 
miniature of her, also, next hisdieart. 

Blackwood went on board the Victory about six. He 
found him in good spirits, but very calm; not in that ex¬ 
hilaration which he had felt upon entering into battle at 
Aboukir and Copenhagen: he knew that his own life 
would be particularly aimed at, and seems to have looked 

1. Horatia. See p. 303, note 1. 


The Life of Nelson 


343 


for death with almost as sure an expectation as for vic¬ 
tory. Ilis whole attention was fixed upon the enemy. 
They tacked to the northward, and formed their line on 
the larboard tack; thus bringing the shoals of Trafalgar 
and St. Pedro under the lee of the British, and keeping 
the port of Cadiz open for themselves. This was judi¬ 
ciously done; and Nelson, aware of all the advantages 
which it gave them, made signal to prepare to anchor. 

Villeneuve was a skilful seaman; worthy of serving a 
better master, and a better cause. His plan of defense 
was as well conceived, and as original, as the plan of at¬ 
tack. He formed the fleet in a double line; every alter¬ 
nate ship being about a cable’s length to windward of her 
second ahead and astern. Nelson, certain of a triumph¬ 
ant issue to the day, asked Blackwood what he should con¬ 
sider as a victory. That officer answered, that, consid- 
ing the handsome way in which battle was offered by the 
enemy, their apparent determination for a fair trial of 
strength, and the situation of the land, he thought it 
would be a glorious result if fourteen were captured. He 
replied: “I shall not be satisfied with less than twenty.” 
Soon‘afterwards he asked him, if he did not think there 
was a signal wanting. Captain Blackwood made answer, 
that he thought the whole fleet seemed very clearly to 
understand what they were about. These words were 
scarcely spoken before that signal was made, which will 
be remembered as long as the language, or even the 
memory, of England shall endure;—Nelson’s last sig¬ 
nal 1 :—‘ ‘ England expects every man to do his duty ! ’ ’ 

1. Nelson’s last signal. The form at first proposed was “Nelson 
confides, etc.” Someone, however, suggested “England confides,” a 
change which Nelson at once approved. Signals were conveyed by flags 
of different shapes and colors, for different numbers, which in turn 
stood for letters or whole words according to a code. The word "con¬ 
fides” had no number in the code book, and it was therefore changed 
to “expects.” Collingwood is said to have exclaimed when he caught 



344 


The Life of Nelson 


It was received throughout the fleet with a shout of 
answering acclamation, made sublime by the spirit which 
it breathed, and the feeling which it expressed. “Now,” 
said Lord Nelson, “I can do no more. We must trust to 
the great Disposer of all events, and the justice of our 
cause. I thank God for this great opportunity of doing 
my duty.” 

He wore that day, as usual, his Admiral’s frock-coat, 
bearing on the left breast four stars, of the different or¬ 
ders with which he was invested. Ornaments which ren¬ 
dered him so conspicuous a mark for the enemy were be¬ 
held with ominous apprehensions by his officers. It was 
known that there were riflemen on board the French 
ships; and it could not be doubted but that his life would 
be particularly aimed at. They communicated their fears 
to each other; and the surgeon, Mr. Beatty,* spoke to 
the chaplain, Dr. Scott, and to Mr. Scott, the public 
secretary, desiring that some person would entreat him 
to change his dress, or cover the stars: but they knew 
that such a request would highly displease him. “In 
honor I gained them,” he had said, when such a thing 
had been hinted to him formerly, “and in honor I will 
die with them.” Mr. Beatty, however, would not have 
been deterred by any fear of exciting displeasure, from 
speaking to him himself upon a subject in which the 
weal of England, as well as the life of Nelson, was con¬ 
cerned,—but he was ordered from the deck before he 
could find an opportunity. This was a point upon which 
Nelson’s officers knew that it was hopeless to remonstrate 

sight of the first flag going aloft, “I wish Nelson would stop sig¬ 
naling ; we all know what we have to do,”—a remark which may be 
taken to indicate a clear understanding of his instructions rather than 
unwillingness to receive orders. 

* In this part of the work I have chiefly been indebted to this 
gentleman’s Narrative of Lord Nelson’s Death —a document as interest¬ 
ing as it is authentic.— Southey’s Note. 


The Life of Nelson 


345 


or reason with him; but both Blackwood and his own 
captain, Hardy, represented to him how advantageous 
to the fleet it would be for him to keep out of action as 
long as possible; and he consented at last to let the 
Leviathan and the Temeraire, which were sailing abreast 
of the Victory, be ordered to pass ahead. Yet even here 
the last infirmity of this no We mind was indulged; for 
these ships could not pass ahead if the Victory continued 
to carry all her sail; and so far was Nelson from shorten¬ 
ing sail, that it was evident he took pleasure in pressing 
on, and rendering it impossible for them to obey his own 
orders. A long swell was setting into the Bay of Cadiz: 
our ship:., crowding all sail, mpved majestically before it, 
with light winds from the southwest . 1 The sun shone on 
the sails of the enemy; and their well-formed line, with 
their numerous three-deckers, made an appearance which 
any other assailants would have thought formidable;— 
but the British sailors only admired the beauty and 
splendor of the spectacle; and, in full confidence of win¬ 
ning what they saw, remarked to each other, what a fine 
sight yonder ships would make at Spithead! 

The French Admiral, from the Bucentaure, beheld the 
new manner in which his enemy was advancing—Nelson 
and Collingwood each leading his line; and pointing them 
out to his officers, he is said to have exclaimed, that such 
conduct could not fail to be successful. Yet Villeneuve 
had made his own dispositions with the utmost skill, 
and the fleets under his command waited for the attack 
with perfect coolness. Ten minutes before twelve they 
opened their fire. Eight or nine of the ships immediately 
ahead of the Victory, and across her bows, fired single 
guns at her, to ascertain whether she was yet within their 
range. As soon as Nelson perceived that their shot 
passed over him, he desired Blackwood, and Captain 

1. Southwest. Before the battle the wind shifted to the northwest. 




346 


The Life of Nelson 


Prowse, of the Sirius, to repair to their respective fri¬ 
gates; and, on their way, to tell all the captains of the 
line of battle ships that he depended on their exertions; 
and that, if by the prescribed mode of attack they found 
it impracticable to get into action immediately, they 
might adopt whatever they thought best, provided it led 
them quickly and closely alongside an enemy. As they 
were standing on the front of the poop, Blackwood took 
him by the hand, saying, he hoped soon to return and 
find him in possession of twenty prizes. He replied: 
“God bless you, Blackwood; I shall never see you 
again! ” 

Nelson’s column was steqred about two points more to 
the north than Collingwood’s, in order to cut off the 
enemy’s escape into Cadiz: the lee line, therefore, was 
first engaged. “See,” cried Nelson, pointing to the 
Royal Sovereign, as she steered right for the center of 
the enemy’s line, cut through it astern of the Santa Ana, 
three-decker, and engaged her at the muzzle of her guns 
on the starboard side; “see how that noble fellow, Col- 
lingwood, carries his ship into action!” Collingwood, 
delighted at being first in the heat of the fire, and know¬ 
ing the feelings of his Commander and old friend, turned 
to his Captain, and exclaimed: “Rotherham, what would 
Nelson give to he here ? ’ ’ Both these brave officers, per¬ 
haps, at this moment, thought of Nelson with gratitude, 
for a circumstance which had occurred on the preceding 
day. Admiral Collingwood, with some of the captains, 
having gone on board the Victory to receive instructions, 
Nelson inquired of him where his Captain 1 was; and was 
told, in reply, that they were not upon good terms with 
each other. ‘ 1 Terms! ’ ’ said Nelson ;—‘ 1 good terms with 
each other!” Immediately he sent a boat for Captain 
Rotherham; led him, as soon as he arrived, to Colling- 

1. His Captain. That is, the captain of Collingwood’s flagship. 



The Life of Nelson 


34V 


wood, and saying,—"Look; yonder are the enemy!” 
bade them shake hands like Englishmen. 

The enemy continued to fire a gun at a time at the 
Victory, till they saw that a shot had passed through her 
main-top-gallant sail; then they opened their broadsides, 
aiming chiefly at her rigging in the hope of disabling 
her before she could close with them. Nelson, as usual, 
had hoisted several flags, lest one should be shot away. 
The enemy showed no colors till late in the action, when 
they began to feel the necessity of having them to strike. 
For this reason, the Santissima Trinidad, Nelson’s old 
acquaintance, as he used to call her, was distinguishable 
only by her four decks ; x and to the bow of this opponent 
he ordered the Victory to be steered. Meantime, an in¬ 
cessant raking fire was kept up upon the Victory. The 
Admiral’s secretary was one of the first who fell; he was 
killed by a cannon-shot while conversing with Hardy. 
Captain Adair of the marines, with the help of a sailor, 
endeavored to remove the body from Nelson’s sight, who 
had a great regard for Mr. Scott; but he anxiously asked : 
"Is that poor Scott that’s gone?” and being informed 
that it was indeed so, exclaimed: "Poor fellow!” Pres¬ 
ently, a double-headed shot struck a party of marines, 
who were drawn up on the poop, and killed eight of 
them: upon which Nelson immediately desired Captain 
Adair to disperse his men around the ship, that they 
might not suffer so much from being together. A few 
minutes afterwards a shot struck the fore-brace bits on 
the quarter-deck, and passed between Nelson and Hardy, 
a splinter from the bit tearing off Hardy’s buckle, and 
bruising his foot. Both stopped, and looked anxiously 
at each other: each supposed the other to be wounded. 

1. Four decks. The Santissima Trinidad was the largest battleship 
afloat, with 130 guns, mounted on the spar-deck and three gun-decks 
below. Nelson had exchanged broadsides with her at Cape St. Vincent. 
(See p 134.) 



348 


The Life of Nelson 


Nelson then smiled, and said: “This is too warm work, 
Hardy, to last long.” 

The Victory had not yet returned a single gun; fifty of 
her men had been by this time killed or wounded, and her 
mizzen-topmast with all her studding-sails and their 
booms shot away. Nelson declared, that, in all his bat¬ 
tles, he had seen nothing which surpassed the cool cour¬ 
age of his crew on this occasion. At four minutes after 
twelve, she opened her fire from both sides of her deck. 
It was not possible to break the enemy’s line without 
running on board one of their ships: Hardy informed 
him of this, and asked him which he would prefer. Nel¬ 
son replied: 11 Take your choice, Hardy, it does not sig¬ 
nify much.” The Master was ordered to put the helm 
to port, and the Victory ran on board 1 the RedoutaMe, 
just as her tiller-ropes were shot away. The French 
ship received her with a broadside; then instantly let 
down her lower-deck ports, for fear of being boarded 
through them, and never afterwards fired a great gun 2 
during the action. Her tops, like those of all the enemy’s 
ships, were filled with riflemen. Nelson never placed 
musketry in his tops; he had a strong dislike to the prac¬ 
tice: not merely because it endangers setting fire to the 
sails, but also because it is a murderous sort of warfare, 
by which individuals may suffer, and a commander now 
and then be picked off, but which never can decide the 
fate of a general engagement . 3 

1. Ran on board the Redoutable. When the Victory drew in range 
she turned first to the right (helm to port) and then to the left to 
come under the stern of Villeneuve's flagship the Bucentaure. After 
she had done so, she came alongside the Redoutable, which had run up 
nearly abreast of the French flagship to protect her. 

2. Great gun. A cannon. 

3. Decide the fate of a general engagement. In this case the 
musketry at one time nearly cleared the decks of the Victory. It may 
be said to have decided the battle in the fight between the Bonhomme 
Richard and the Bcrapis. 


The Life of Nelson 


349 


FRENCH 

and 

SPANISH 
(40 ships) 


^WIND 


BRITISH (30 ships) 


RESERVE 
( 6 fast 
ships ) 


WINDWARD 
DIVISION 
(10 ships ) to 
cut through 
enemy center 


--- 'A 

S 

"v * 
N. 

V 

A 


'a 

V A 


LEE DIVISION 
(12 ships ) to wear 
simultaneously and 
attack enemy rear 

NELSON’S PLAN FOR ATTACK 
FROM THE WINDWARD 


Scene 


Cadiz Puerto Real 

Action 

Ta f 

Strait OJ Ceuta 

Tangier^}/'’” ( 
_ | MOROCCO 


Africa 

\ 


^ Neptuno 
Scipion 

Intrepide 

\ Formidable *^ & Duguay Trouin 


Minotaure 

/ Ajax 'V.Spartlate 
/Agamemnon ^Conqueror 


Mt. Blanch ^Rayo 

^ San Francisco 
de Asisi 


\ 

^Leviathan 


Neptune 

f Britannia 

/ ^ Victory 


QHe'ros 

^San Augustir.o 

g Santissima 
^ Trinidad 


TemeVai re* 


Orion 


WIND 

West 

North-west 


_ *Bucentaure 
7 kRedoutable 
0 |San Justo 

Neptune 

San Leandro^ 

Santa Ana jfl Indomptable 


c Royal Z'' 
Sovereign W 


Belle/lsle 
✓ / 
' s 
/ ' _ 


Mar§.^""* 

^Tonnant 



QFougueux 

-7 

,7 Monarca 

0 Q 

Pluton 
10 Algesiras 

§ Bahama 


_ - - 


_Aj^l e (3 Q 

—"** Montanes 

Colossus_^ (jSwiftsure 

Q Argonauts 

-» 

^ San lldefenso 
> ^Argonauta 



Principe DeAsturias 


(J Berwick 
S San Juan Nepomuceno 


Polyphemus 

Thunderer 


O BRITISH 27 ships, 5 frigates, 1 schooner 

O FRENCH „„ . 

33 ships, 6 frigates, 2 brigs 


G> SPANISH 


BATTLE OF TRAFALGAR 
























350 


The Life of Nelson 


Captain Harvey, in the Temeraire, fell on board the 
Redoutable on the other side. Another enemy was in like 
manner on board the Temeraire, so that these four ships 
formed as compact a tier as if they had been moored to¬ 
gether, their heads lying all the same way. The lieuten¬ 
ants of the Victory, seeing this, depressed the guns of 
the middle and lower decks, and fired with a diminished 
charge, lest the shot should pass through and injure the 
Temeraire. And because there was danger that the Re 
doutable might take fire from the lower-deck guns, the 
muzzles of which touched her side when they were run 
out, the fire-man of each gun stood ready with a bucket of 
water; which, as soon as the gun was discharged, he 
dashed into the hole made by the shot. An incessant fire 
was kept up from the Victory from both sides; her lar' 
board guns playing upon the Bucentaure, and the huge 
Santissima Trinidad. 

It had been part of Nelson’s prayer, that the British 
fleet might be distinguished by humanity in the victory 
which he expected. Setting an example himself, he twice 
gave orders to cease firing upon the Redoutable, sup¬ 
posing that she had struck, because her great guns were 
silent; for, as she carried no flag, there was no means of 
instantly ascertaining the fact. From this ship, which he 
had thus twice spared, he received his death. A ball 
fired from her mizzen-top, which, in the then situation of 
the two vessels, was not more than fifteen yards from 
that part of the deck where he was standing, struck the 
epaulette on his left shoulder, about a quarter after one, 
just in the heat of the action. lie fell upon his face, on 
the spot which was covered with his poor secretary’s 
blood. Hardy, who was a few steps from him, turning 
around, saw three men raising him up. “They have 
done for me at last, Hardy!” said he.—“I hope not,” 
cried Hardy.—“Yes!” he replied; “my back-bone is shot 


The Life of Nelson 


351 


through.” Yet even now, not for a moment losing his 
presence of mind, he observed, as they were carrying 
him down the ladder, that the tiller-ropes, which had 
been shot away, were not yet replaced, and ordered that 
new ones should be rove immediately:—then, that he 
might not be seen by the crew, he took out his handker¬ 
chief, and covered his face and his stars. Had he but 
concealed these badges of honor from the enemy, Eng¬ 
land, perhaps, would not have had cause to receive with 
sorrow the news of the battle of Trafalgar. The cockpit 
was crowded with wounded and dying men; over whose 
bodies he was with some difficulty conveyed, and laid 
upon a pallet in the midshipmen’s berth. It was soon 
perceived, upon examination, that the wound was mortal. 
This, however, was concealed from all except Captain 
Hardy, the chaplain, and the medical attendants. He 
himself being certain, from the sensation in his back, 
and the gush of blood he felt momently within his breast, 
that no human care could avail him, insisted that the 
surgeon should leave him, and attend to those to whom 
he might be useful; “For,” said he, “you can do nothing 
for me.”—All that could be done was to fan him with 
paper, and frequently to give him lemonade to alleviate 
his intense thirst. He was in great pain, and expressed 
much anxiety for the event of the action, which now be¬ 
gan to declare itself. As often as a ship struck, the crew 
of the Victory hurrahed; and at every hurrah, a visible 
expression of joy gleamed in the eyes, and marked the 
countenance, of the dying hero. But he became impa¬ 
tient to see Captain Hardy; and as that officer, though 
often sent for, could not leave the deck, Nelson feared 
that some fatal cause prevented him, and repeatedly 
cried: “Will no one bring Hardy to me? He must be 
killed! He is surely dead! ’ ’—An hour and ten minutes 

elapsed from the time when Nelson received his wound, 
12 



3 r >2 


The Life of Nelson 


before Hardy could come to him. They shook hands in 
silence; Hardy in vain struggling to suppress the feel¬ 
ings of that most painful and yet sublimest moment. 
“Well, Hardy,” said Nelson; “how goes the day with 
us?”—“Very well,” replied Hardy; “ten ships have 
struck, but five of the van 1 have tacked, and show an 
intention to bear down on the Victory. I have called 
two or three of our fresh ships around, and have no 
doubt of giving them a drubbing.”—“I hope,” said 
Nelson, “none of our ships have struck?” Hardy an¬ 
swered, “There was no fear of that.” Then, and not till 
then, Nelson spoke of himself. “I am a dead man, 
Hardy,” said he: “I am going fast:—it will be all over 
with me soon. Come nearer to me. Let my dear Lady 
Hamilton have my hair, and all other things belonging 
to me.” Hardy observed, that he hoped Mr. Beatty 
would hold out some prospect of life. “Oh no!” he re¬ 
plied : “it is impossible; my back is shot through. Beatty 
will tell you so.” Captain Hardy then, once more, shook 
hands with him; and with a heart almost bursting, has¬ 
tened upon deck. 

By this time all feeling below the breast was gone; and 
Nelson, having made the surgeon ascertain this, said to 
him: “You know I am gone. I know it. I feel some¬ 
thing rising in my breast”—putting his hand on his left 
side—“ which tells me so.” And upon Beatty’s inquir¬ 
ing whether his pain was very great? he replied, “so 
great, that he wished he was dead. Yet,” said he, in a 
lower voice, “one would like to live a little longer too!” 
And after a few minutes, in the same undertone, he 
added—“What would become of poor Lady Hamilton if 

1. Five of the ran. In spite of Vllleneuve’s urgent orders “to take 
positions that would bring them most rapidly under fire,” the ten 
ships of the van kept on their course until late in the battle. When 
they turned, five passed to windward and five to leeward of the ships 
In action. All save one escaped. 



The Life of Nelson 


353 


she knew my situation !” Next to his country, she occu¬ 
pied his thoughts. Captain Hardy, some fifty minutes 
after he had left the cockpit, returned; and again taking 
the hand of his dying friend and commander, congratu¬ 
lated him on having gained a complete victory. How 
many of the enemy were taken he did not know, as it was 
impossible to perceive them distinctly; but fourteen or 
fifteen at least. “That’s well,” cried Nelson; “but I 
bargained for twenty.” And then, in a stronger voice, 
he said: “Anchor, Hardy; anchor.” Hardy, upon this, 
hinted that Admiral Collingood would take upon himself 
the direction of affairs. “Not while I live, Hardy,” said 
the dying Nelson, ineffectually endeavoring to raise him¬ 
self from the bed: “do you anchor.” His previous order 
for preparing to anchor had shown how clearly he fore¬ 
saw the necessity of this. Presently, calling Hardy back, 
he said to him, in a low voice, “Don’t throw me over¬ 
board:” and he desired that he might be buried by his 
parents, unless it should please the King to order other¬ 
wise. Then reverting to private feelings: “Take care 
of my dear Lady Hamilton, Hardy: take care of poor 
Lady Hamilton.—Kiss me, Hardy,” said he. Hardy 
knelt down and kissed his cheek: and Nelson said, “Now 
I am satisfied. Thank God, I have done my duty!” 
Hardy stood over him in silence for a moment or two, 
then knelt again, and kissed his forehead. “Who is 
that?” said Nelson; and being informed, he replied: 
‘ ‘ God bless you, Hardy! ’ ’ And Hardy then left him— 
forever. 

Nelson now desired to be turned upon his right side, 
and said, “I wish I had not left the deck; for I shall 
soon be gone.” Death was, indeed, rapidly approaching. 
He said to the chaplain, “Doctor, I have not been a great 
sinner : ’ ’ and after a short pause, ‘ 4 remember that I leave 
Lady Hamilton, and my daughter Horatia as a legacy to 




354 


The Life of Nelson 


my country.” His articulation now became difficult; but 
he was distinctly heard to say, ‘ ‘ Thank God, I have done 
my duty!” These words he repeatedly pronounced; and 
they were the last words which he uttered. He expired at 
thirty minutes after four,—three hours and a quarter 
after he had received his wound 

Within a quarter of an hour after Nelson was wounded, 
above fifty of the Victory’s men fell by the enemy’s mus¬ 
ketry. They, however, on their part, were not idle; and 
it was not long before there were only two Frenchmen 
left alive in the mizzen-top of the Redontable. One of 
them was the man who had given the fatal wound; he did 
not live to boast of what he had done. An old quarter¬ 
master had seen him fire; and easily recognized him, 
because he wore a glazed cocked hat and a white frock. 
This quarter-master and two midshipmen, Mr. Colling- 
wood and Mr. Pollard, were the only persons left in the 
Victory’s poop;—the two midshipmen kept firing at the 
top, and he supplied them with cartridges. One of the 
Frenchmen, attempting to make his escape down the 
rigging, was shot by Mr. Pollard, and fell on the poop. 
But the old quarter-master, as he cried out, “That’s he— 
that’s he,” and pointed at the other, who was coming 
forward to fire again, received a shot in his mouth, and 
fell dead. Both the midshipmen then fired at the same 
time, and the fellow dropped in the top. When they took 
possession of the prize, they went into the mizzen-top, 
and found him dead; with one ball through his head, 
and another through his breast. 

The Redoutable struck within twenty minutes after the 
fatal shot had been fired from her. During that time 
she had been twice on fire,—in her fore-chains, and in 
her forecastle. The French, as they had done in other 
battles, made use in this of fire-balls, and other com¬ 
bustibles; implements of destruction, which other na- 


The Life of Nelson 


355 


tions, from a sense of honor and humanity, have laid 
aside; which add to the sufferings of the wounded, without 
determining the issue of the combat: which none but the 
cruel would employ, and which never can be successful 
against the brave. Once they succeeded in setting fire, 
from the Redoutable, to some ropes and canvas on the 
Victory’s booms. The cry ran through the ship, and 
reached the cockpit: but even this dreadful cry produced 
no confusion: the men displayed that perfect self-posses¬ 
sion in danger by which English seamen are character¬ 
ized; they extinguished the flames on board their own 
ship, and then hastened to extinguish them in the enemy, 
by throwing buckets of water from the gangway. When 
the Redoutable had struck, it was not practicable to board 
her from the Victory, for, though the two ships touched, 
the upper works of both fell in so much 1 that there was a 
great space between their gangways; and she could not 
be boarded from her lower or middle decks, because her 
ports were down. Some of our men went to Lieutenant 
Quilliam and offered to swim under her bows, and get 
up there; but it was thought unfit to hazard brave lives 
in this manner. 

What our men would have done from gallantry, some 
of the crew of the Santissima Trinidad did to save them¬ 
selves. Unable to stand the tremendous fire of the Vic¬ 
tory, whose larboard guns played against this great four- 
decker, and not knowing how else to escape them, nor 
where else to betake themselves for protection, many of 
them leaped overboard, and swam to the Victory; and 
were actually helped up her sides by the English during 
the action. The Spaniards began the battle with less 
vivacity than their unworthy allies, but they continued 
it with greater firmness. The Argonauta and Bahama 

1. Fell in so much. Vessels of this period were considerably broader 
at the waterline than at the deck, to give stability. 


356 


The Life of Nelson 


were defended till they had each lost about four hundred 
men; the San Juan Nepomuceno lost three hundred and 
fifty. Often as the superiority of British courage has 
been proved against France upon the seas, it was never 
more conspicuous than in this decisive conflict. Five of 
our ships were engaged muzzle to muzzle with five of the 
French. In all five, the Frenchmen lowered their lower- 
deck ports, and deserted their guns; while our men con¬ 
tinued deliberately to load and fire, till they had made 
the victory secure. 

Once, amidst his sufferings, Nelson had expressed a 
wish that he were dead; but immediately the spirit sub¬ 
dued the pains of death, and he wished to live a little 
longer;—doubtless that he might hear the completion of 
the victory which he had seen so gloriously begun. That 
consolation,—that joy,—that triumph,—was afforded 
him. He lived to know that the victory was decisive; and 
the last guns which were fired at the flying enemy were 
heard a minute or tw T o before he expired. The ships 
which were thus flying were four of the enemy’s van, all 
French, under Rear-Admiral Dumanoir. They had borne 
no part in the action; and now, when they were seeking 
safety in flight, they fired not only into the Victory and 
Royal Sovereign as they passed, but poured their broad¬ 
sides into the Spanish captured ships; and they were 
seen to back their topsails, for the purpose of firing with 
more precision. The indignation of the Spaniards at 
this detestable cruelty from their allies, for whom they 
had fought so bravely, and so profusely bled, may well 
be conceived. It was such, that when, two days after 
the action, seven of the ships which had escaped into 
Cadiz came out, in hopes of retaking some ef the dis¬ 
abled prizes, the prisoners in the Argonauta, in a body, 
offered their services to the British prize-master, to man 
the guns against any of the French ships: saying, that 



The Life of Nelson 


357 


if a Spanish ship came alongside they would quietly go 
below; but they requested that they might be allowed to 
fight the French, in resentment for the murderous usage 
which they had suffered at their hands. Such was their 
earnestness, and such the implicit confidence which could 
be placed in Spanish honor, that the offer was accepted; 
and they were actually stationed at the lower-deck guns. 
Dumanoir and his squadron were not more fortunate than 
the fleet from whose destruction they fled: they fell in 
with Sir Richard Strachan, who was cruising for the 
Rochefort squadron, and were all taken. In the better 
days of France, if such a crime could then have been 
committed, it would have received an exemplary pun¬ 
ishment from the French government: under Bonaparte, 
it was sure of impunity, and, perhaps, might be thought 
deserving of reward. But, if the Spanish court had been 
independent, it would have become us to have delivered 
Dumanoir and his captains up to Spain, that they might 
have been brought to trial, and hanged in sight of the 
remains of the Spanish fleet. 

The total British loss in the battle of Trafalgar 
amounted to 1587. Twenty of the enemy struck; but it 
was not possible to anchor the fleet,* as Nelson had en¬ 
joined ;—a gale came on from the southwest; some of 
the prizes went down, some went on shore; one effected 


* In the former editions it was said that unhappily the fleet did not 
anchor: implying an opinion that Nelson’s orders ought to have been 
followed by his successor. From the recently published Memoirs and 
Correspondence of Lord Collingwood, it appears that this was not 
practicable, and that if it had been, and had been done, the conse¬ 
quences, from the state of the weather (which Nelson could not fore¬ 
see), would, in all likelihood, have been more disastrous than they 
were. 

Having thus referred to Lord Collingwood s Life, I may be allowed 
to say that the publication of this volume is indeed a national good. 
It ought to be in every officer’s cabin and in every statesman’s cabinet 
— Southey’s Note. 


358 


The Life of Nelson 


its escape into Cadiz; others were destroyed; four only 
were saved, and those by the greatest exertions. The 
wounded Spaniards were sent ashore, an assurance being 
given that they should not serve till regularly exchanged; 
and the Spaniards, with a generous feeling which would 
not, perhaps, have been found in any other people, offered 
the use of their hospitals for our wounded, pledging the 
honor of Spain that they should be carefully attended 
there. When the storm, after the action, drove some 
of the prizes upon the coast, they declared that the Eng¬ 
lish, who were thus thrown into their hands, should not 
be considered as prisoners of war; and the Spanish 
soldiers gave up their own beds to their shipwrecked 
enemies. The Spanish Vice-Admiral, Alava, died of his 
wounds. Villeneuve was sent to England, and permitted 
to return to France. The French government say that 
he destroyed himself 1 on the way to Paris, dreading the 
consequences of a court-martial: but there is every reason 
to believe that the tyrant, who never acknowledged the 
loss of the battle of Trafalgar, added Villeneuve to the 
numerous victims of his murderous policy. 

It is almost superfluous to add, that all the honors 
which a grateful country could bestow were heaped upon 
the memory of Nelson. Ilis brother was made an Earl, 
with a grant of £6000 a year; £10,000 were voted to each 
of his sisters; and £100,000 for the purchase of an estate. 
A public funeral 2 was decreed, and a public monument. 3 

1. Destroyed himself. It has been proved by later investigation that 
Villeneuve committed suicide at Rennes, April 22, 1806. 

2. Public funeral. Nelson was buried in state in St. Paul’s Cathe¬ 
dral, London. 

3. Public monument. The Nelson Column, 145 feet high, in Trafalgar 
Square, London. It Is made of bronze from captured cannon, Is sur¬ 
mounted by a statue of Nelson, and has four reliefs on its pedestal 
representing scenes from Nelson’s four great victories—St. Vincent, 
Nile, Copenhagen, and Trafalgar. Four lions, by Landseer, guard the 
base. 


The Life of Nelson 


359 


Statues and monuments also were voted by most of our 
principal cities. The leaden coffin, in which he was 
brought home, was cut in pieces, which were distributed 
as relics of Saint Nelson,—so the gunner of the Victory 1 
called them;—and when, at his interment, his flag was 
about to be lowered into the grave, the sailors, who as¬ 
sisted at the ceremony, with one accord rent it to pieces, 
that each might preserve a fragment 2 while he lived. 

1 . Victory. The first British ship of this name fought against the 
Spanish Armada ffi 1588. Nelson’s Victory, the fifth of the name, 
was launched in 1765, was the flagship of Admiral Keppel in 1778, 
of Kempenfeldt in his action with De Guichen in 1781, of Howe In 
1793, and of Jervis at Cape St. Vincent in 1797. She has since been 
preserved at Portsmouth. 

2. Preserve a fragment. A chamber of Nelson pictures and relics is 
preserved in Greenwich Hospital, London. Describing the sensations 
stirred by these memorials, Nathaniel Hawthorne writes as follows : 

“It is remarkable, however, that the great naval hero of England— 
the greatest, therefore, in the world, and of ail time—had none of the 
stolid characteristics that belong to his class, and cannot fairly be 
accepted as their representative man. Foremost in the roughest of 
professions, he was as delicately organized as a woman, and as pain¬ 
fully sensitive as a poet. More than any other Englishman he won the 
love and admiration of his country, but he won them through the 
efficacy of qualities that are not English, or, at all events, were inten¬ 
sified in his case and made poignant and powerful by something morbid 
in the man, which put him otherwise at cross-purposes with life. He 
was a man of genius; and, genius in an Englishman (not to cite the 
good old simile of a pearl in the oyster) is usually a symptom of a lack 
of balance in the general making-up of the character ; as we may satisfy 
ourselves by running over the list of their poets, for example, and 
observing how many of them have been sickly or deformed, and how 
often their lives have been darkened by insanity. An ordinary English¬ 
man is the healthiest and wholesomest of human beings ; an extraor¬ 
dinary one is almost always, in one way or another, a sick man. It 
was so with Lord Nelson. The wonderful contrast or relation between 
his personal qualities, the position which he held, and the life that he 
lived, makes him as interesting a personage as all history has to show, 
and it is a pity that Southey’s biography—so good in its superficial way, 
and yet so inadequate as regards any real delineation of the man 
should have taken tfce subject out of the hands of some writer endowed 
with more delicate appreciation and deeper insight than that genuine 
Englishman possessed. But Southey accomplished his own purpose, 
which, apparently, was to present his hero as a pattern for England s 
young midshipmen. 


3G0 


The Life of Nelson 


The death of Nelson was felt in England as something 
more than a public calamity: men started at the intelli¬ 
gence, and turned pale; as if they had heard of the loss 
of a dear friend. An object of our admiration and affec¬ 
tion, of our pride and of our hopes, was suddenly taken 
from us; and it seemed as if we had never, till then, 
known how deeply we loved and reverenced him. What 
the country had lost in its great naval hero—the greatest 
of our own and of all former times, was scarcely taken 
into the account of grief. So perfectly, indeed, had he 
performed his part, that the maritime war, after the 
battle of Trafalgar, was considered at an end: the fleets 
of the enemy were not merely defeated, but destroyed: 
new navies must be built, and a new race of seamen 
reared for them, before the possibility of their invading 
our shores could again be contemplated. It was not, 
therefore, from any selfish reflection upon the magnitude 
of our loss that we mourned for him: the general sorrow 
was of a higher character. The people of England 
grieved that funeral ceremonies, and public monuments, 
and posthumous rewards, were all which they could now 
bestow upon him, whom the King, the Legislature, and 


“But the Euglish capacity for hero-worship is full to the brim with 
what they are able to comprehend of Lord Nelson’s character. Adjoin¬ 
ing the Painted Hall is a smaller room, the walls of which are com¬ 
pletely and exclusively adorned with pictures of the great Admiral’s 
exploits. We see the frail, ardent man in all the most noted events 
of his career, from his encounter with a Tolar bear to his death at 
Trafalgar, quivering here and there about the room like a blue, lambent 
fame. No Briton ever enters that apartment without feeling the beef 
and ale of his composition stirred to its depths, and finding himself 
changed into a hero for the nonce, however stolid his brain, however 
tough his heart, however unexcitable his ordinary mood. To confess 
the truth, I myself, though belonging to another parish, have been 
deeply sensible to the sublime recollection there aroused, acknowledging 
that Nelson expressed his life in a kind of symbolic poetry which I had 
as much right to understand as these burly islanders.”—Hawthorne’s 
Our Old I Tome, a Visit to Orccnicich and Chelsea. 





The Life of Nelson 


361 


the nation, would have alike delighted to honor; whom 
every tongue would have blessed; whose presence in 
every village through which he might have passed would 
have wakened the church bells, have given schoolboys a 
holiday, have drawn children from their sports to gaze 
upon him, and “old men from the chimney corner,” 1 to 
look upon Nelson ere they died. The victory of Trafalgar 
was celebrated, indeed, with the usual forms of rejoicing, 
but they were without joy; for such already was the 
glory of the British Navy, through Nelson’s surpassing 
genius, that it scarcely seemed to receive any addition 
from the most signal victory 2 that ever was achieved 
upon the seas: and the destruction of this mighty fleet, 
by which all the maritime schemes of France were totally 
frustrated, hardly appeared to add to our security or 
strength; for, while Nelson was living, to watch the com¬ 
bined squadrons of the enemy, we felt ourselves as secure 
as now, when they were no longer in existence. 

There was reason to suppose, from the appearances , 
upon opening the body, that, in the course of nature, he 
might have attained, like his father, to a good old age. 
Yet he cannot be said to have fallen prematurely whose 
work was done; nor ought he to be lamented, who died 
so full of honors, and at the height of human fame. The 
most triumphant death is that of the martyr; the most 
awful that of the martyred patriot; the most splendid 
that of the hero in the hour of victory: and if the chariot 

1 “Old men from the chimney corner. y ' “He [the poet] cometh 
unto you with a tale that lioldeth children from play and old men 
from the chimney corner ”—Sir Philip Sidney, Defense of Poesy. 

2. Most signal victory. Napoleon's invasion of England, postponed 
by the Austrian advance and the earlier failure of Villeneuve to reach 
the Channel, was definitely prevented hy the destruction of the French 
fleet at Trafalgar. The news reached England in time to dispel the 
gloom caused by tidings of Napoleon's victories against Austria. As 
Meredith wrote in the poem Trafalgar Day, the winds “rolled the smoke 
from Trafalgar to darken Austerlitz ablaze.’ 


362 


The Life of Nelson 


and the horses of fire 1 had been vouchsafed for Nelson’s 
translation, he could scarcely have departed in a brighter 
blaze of glory. He has left us, not indeed his mantle of 
inspiration, but a name and an example, which are at . 
this hour inspiring thousands of the youth of England:— 
a name which is our pride, and an example which will 
continue to be our shield and our strength. Thus it is 
that the spirits of the great and the wise continue to live 
and to act after them; verifying, in this sense, the 
language of the old mythologist: 

Tol /xev Sai/ioves eicri, Aids fieyaXov Sta fiov Ad<», 

’EaOXol, ImyOovioi, (fivXaKes OvrjTcov av0po)7ro)v. 2 

1. The chariot and the horses of fire. An allusion to the prophet 
Elijah’s ascent into Heaven, II Kings, ii, 11-14. The mantle of the 
prophet fell upon his successor, Elisha. 

2. “These god like spirits, through the will of almighty Zeus, are 
beneficent, and remain on earth as the protectors of mortal men.”— 
Hesiod, Works and Days, 122, 123. 




GLOSSARY OP NAUTICAL TERMS 


Aback (taken). See p. 106. 

Aft, after. Toward the stern. 

Athwart-liawse. Across the course 
of a vessel; across her bow. 

Back a sail. To shift a square-sail 
so that it presses back against 
the mast, thus checking the 
ship’s headway. 

Barge. A large boat supplied only 
to flag-ships for the use of flag 
officers. Barge’s crew, see p. 120. 

Bear up. To turn with the wind, 
to leeward. 

Beat. To make progress against 
the wind by sailing in tacks, or 
zig-zag courses. 

Berth. The place where a man 
sleeps. Also, a vessel’s assigned 
position or station. 

Bits. Upright timbers in the deck 
to which ropes and cables are 
made fast. 

Bomb, bomb-vessel. See p. 31. 

Boom. A long spar used to spread 
the foot of a sail. 

Bow. The forward end of a vessel. 

Bower anchor. See p 37. 

Bowsprit. A large, strong spar ex¬ 
tending from the bow. 

Braces. Ropes attached to the 
ends of yards. Brace up, to swing 
the yards to a position nearly 
parallel with the ship’s keel, for 
sailing into the wind. 

Brails. Ropes used in furling fore- 
and-aft sails. Brailed up, said of 
a sail taken in by means of 
brails. 

Brig. A square-rigged vessel with, 
two masts. 

Bring-to. To turn into the wind; 
to stop. 

Broad pendant. See p 59. 

Broadside. All the guns on one 
side of a ship; or a simultaneous 
discharge from all of them. 


Bulkhead. See p. 310. 

Cable. The chain by which a ves¬ 
sel is secured to her anchor. 
Cable’s length, about 120 fathoms, 
or 720 feet. 

Capstern (capstan) bar. See p. 84. 

Captain of the fleet. See p. 248. 

Carried away. See p. 104. 

Cartel. See p. 99 

Chains. Iron bars by which the 
shrouds holding the masts are 
made fast to the ship’s sides. 
They are designated as fore, 
main, and mizzen chains accord¬ 
ing to the mast with which 
they are connected. 

Clew up. To take in a sail by rais¬ 
ing it to the yard above. 

Cockle-boat. A small, light boat 
used only in protected waters. 

Cockpit. An apartment below the 
waterline, aft; occupied by 
wounded men during an engage¬ 
ment. 

Commissioned officer. See p. 158. 

Convoy. Merchant-vessels under 
the protection of a man-of-war. 

Corvette. See p. 84. 

Coxswain. One appointed to com¬ 
mand a captain’s barge or other 
ship’s boat. 

Crossjack yard. The spar support¬ 
ing the crossjack, or lowest 
square-sail on the mizzenmast. 

Cutter. See p. 30. 

Drive. To drift before the wind. 

Driver. A name formerly given to 
the spanker or large fore-and- 
aft sail on the mizzenmast. 

Embargo. An order forbidding 
vessels to leave port. 

Ensign. A flag indicating na¬ 
tionality. 


863 


364 


The Life of Nelson 



Fall off. To turn with the wind. 

Fell on board. See p. 13G. 

Fathom. Six feet. 

Fire-ship. A vessel with combust¬ 
ibles or explosives, sent among 
enemy ships to set them on fire. 

Flag-ship. The vessel bearing the 
commander-in-chief. 

Fore. A prefix designating the 
forward part of a vessel, or ob¬ 
jects in that direction. 

Fore-and-aft sail. A sail rigged 
on a boom and gaff, instead of 
yards; like the mainsail of a 
cat-boat or sloop. 

Fore-brace. A rope attached to 
the lowermost yard on the fore¬ 
mast. Fore-brace bit, an upright 
post in the deck to which the 
fore-brace is made fast. 

Forecastle. The crew’s quarters, 
forward. Also the upper deck 
forward of the foremast 

Foremast. The mast nearest the 
bow in a vessel with more than 
one mast. 

Foretop. See p. 38. 

Frigate. See p. 26. 

Furl. To take in a sail. 

Galley. Applied in modern times 
to small war-vessels propelled 
primarily by oars, whether 
rigged with sails or not. 

Gangways. The upper deck near 
the sides, between the quarter¬ 
deck and the forecastle. 

Going large. Sailing with the wind 
fair. 

Guardship. See p. 29. 

Gunboat. Applied in former times 
to a small craft mounting a 
single gun. 

Hanger. See p. 41. 

Haul off. To withdraw. 

Heave-to. To check or stop a ves¬ 
sel’s progress. Hove in stays, see 

p. 105. 

Ice anchor. See p. 32. 

Jolly boat. A small boat carried 
at the stern. 

Landridge shot. See p. 173. 


Larboard. The left side of a ship, 

looking forward. 

Launch. The largest of a ship’s 

boats. 

Lead. A rope with a weight at¬ 
tached for taking the depth of 

water. 

Leading wind. See p. 257. 

League. See p. 144. 

Lee, leeward. On the side not ex¬ 
posed to the wind; the sheltered 

side. 

Log. The ship’s journal, a record 
kept by the officers. 

Long-boat. See p 30 

Luff. To turn the head of a vessel 
toward the wind; to sail closer 
to the wind. 

Lugger. A small vessel with lug- 
sails hoisted on yards swung at 
an angle to the mast. 

Main. A prefix designating the 
sails, rigging, etc., of the main¬ 
mast. 

Main-brace. A rope attached to 
the lowermost yard on the main¬ 
mast. 

Mainmast. The middle mast of a 
ship; the after mast of a brig 

or schooner. 

Mainsail. In a square-rigged ship, 
the lower square-sail on the 
mainmast. 

Mainyard. The yard that supports 
the mainsail. See p. 33. 

Marines. Soldiers serving on ship¬ 
board. 

Master. See p. 42. 

Master’s mate. See p. 30. 

Midshipman. See p. 38. 

Mid-watch. See p. 34. 

Mizzen. A prefix designating the 
sails, rigging, etc., of the miz¬ 
zenmast. 

Mizzenmast. The aftermost mast 
of a three-masted vessel. 

Mizzen-peak. The upper outer 
corner of the fore-and-aft sail 
on the mizzenmast. 

Mole. See p. 114. 

Mortar-boat. A small vessel 
mounting mortars, i.e., short 
guns of large bore for firing 
shells at high angles. 



Glossary of Nautical Terms 


365 


Points (of a compass). The thirty- 
two divisions of the compass 
card, the cardinal points being’ 
north, east, south, and west. 

Pontoons. Flat-bottomed barges 
or lighters. 

Poop. A raised deck at the stern. 
Hence, in geneial, the after part 
of a vessel. 

Port-Are. See p. 176. 

Ports. Openings in the side of a 
vessel; especially openings 
through which cannon may be 
discharged. 

Post captain. See p. 42. 

Praams. See p. 267. 

Privateer. A privately owned ves¬ 
sel commissioned by a govern¬ 
ment to engage in warfare. 

Prize. A vessel captured from the 
enemy in time of war. 

Prize-agents. See p. 69. 

Quadrant. See p. 59. 

Quarter. That part of a vessel’s 
side from about opposite the 
mainmast to the stern. On ilie 
quarter, see p. 60. 

Quarter-deck. The upper deck be¬ 
tween the mainmast and the 
stern, reserved for the use of 
officers. 

Quarter-gallery. See p. 136. 

Quartermaster. A petty officer sta¬ 
tioned on the quarter-deck to 
tend the helm and in general to 
assist the sailing-master in his 
duties. 

Radeaus. Rafts. 

Rake. To fire from such a posi¬ 
tion that the shots range the 
whole length of an enemy ship. 

Rates. See p. 26. 

Receiving ship. See p. 71. 

Register ship. See p. 43. 

Rigging. A general term applied 
to all the ropes of a vessel; or, 
more particularly, to the shrouds 
and stays of the masts, as main 
rigging, mizzen rigging. 

Roads. An anchorage outside a 
port, more exposed than a har¬ 
bor. 

Rolling ground. See p. 292. 


Royal. The name of the fourth 
mast above the deck, next above 
the topgallant mast. Used also 
to designate the sail and yard 
of this mast. 

Serve. 1. To wind a small rope or 
rope-yarn around a larger rope, 
to prevent chafing. 2. To wind 
a rope around any object. 

Shank. See p. 37. 

Sheathed. Covered on the outside. 

Ship. 1. Strictly, a vessel with 
three masts, square-rigged. 2. A 
ship-of-the-line. 3. Any large, 
sea-going vessel. 

Ship-of-the-line. See p. 26. 

Shiver. To loosen a sail so that it 
flaps in the wind. 

Shrouds. Rope stays supporting a 
mast from the sides. The 
shrouds of the upper masts run 
to cross-trees, and those of the 
lower masts to the sides of the 
ship. 

Sloop-of-vvar. See p. 26. 

Slops. See p. 71. 

Sound. To try the depth of water 
by means of a lead or other¬ 
wise. 

Spars. A general term for masts, 
yards, booms, etc., used to sup¬ 
port sails. Applied particularly 
to the masts. 

Spritsail. A sail carried in former 
times underneath the bowsprit. 

Spritsail yard. A spar crossing the 
bowsprit horizontally and at 
right angles, used to support the 
spritsail. 

Starboard. The right side of a ves¬ 
sel, looking forward. 

Stern. The after end of a vessel. 

Stern-chasers. See p. 267. 

Studding-sails. Sails set on sliding 
booms beyond the lower square- 
sails; carried only in moderate 
weather. 

Supercargo. An agent placed in 
charge of a ship’s cargo. 

Swivel. See p. 46. 

Tack. 1. To turn a vessel about 
by bringing her bow into the 
wind—the opposite of wear. 


366 


The Life of Nelson 


2. The course of a vessel in 
beating against the wind, called 
starboard or larboard (port) ac¬ 
cording as the wind strikes on 
the right or the left side. 

Taken aback. See aback. 

Tender. See p. 41. 

Thrap. (variant of frap ). To bind 
or strengthen with ropes or 
cables. 

Tiller. A bar 'extending forward 
from the rudder-post, for turn¬ 
ing the rudder. 

Tiller-ropes. Ropes running from 
the tiller to the steering wheel. 

Top. A platform at the head of a 
lower mast, for the convenience 
of men aloft. 

Topgallant. The name of the third 
mast above the deck, next above 
the topmast. Used also to 
designate the sail, yard, and 
rigging of this mast. 

Topmast. The second mast above 
the deck. 

Topsail. The sail of a topmast; 
the second square-sail above the 
deck. 

Topsail breeze. See p. 250. 


Transports. Vessels engaged in 
carrying troops or supplies. 

Vailed. See p. 253. 

Van. See p. 106. 

Veer. See p. 84. 

Warp. To heave a vessel forward 
by ropes attached to anchors or 
other objects ahead. 

Warrant carpenter. See p. 158. 

Watch and watch. See p. 38. 

Water-logged. Applied to a vessel 
with so much water in her hold 
that she is not easily steered. 

Wear (pret. and past participle, 
wore). To turn a vessel about 
by swinging the bow with the 
wind, instead of against it, as in 
tacking. 

Weather. Windward; in the di¬ 
rection from which the wind 
blows. 

Weigh. To hoist anchor; to get 
under way. 

Wind (on a). See p. 161. 

Yard. A spar swung by its center 
to a mast, and carrying a 
square-sail. 


APPENDIX 


\ 

(Adapted largely from the Teacher’s Manual for the Study of 
English Classics, by George L. Marsh) 

HELPS TO STUDY 
Life of Southey 

When and where was he born (p. 5) ? With whom did he 
spend the greater part of the first years of his life, and what 
influence did this association have on his development? What 
sort of reading did he do in his childhood (p. 6) ? What at¬ 
tempts at writing did he make? 

Where was Southey educated? What important friendship 
did he form during his second year at college? Tell what re¬ 
sponsibility this friendship brought later and how Southey ac¬ 
cepted it. 

Where did Southey finally make his permanent home (p. 8) ? 
What important friendships were formed here (p. 10) ? What 
was the nature of his relations with Byron (p. 11) and the 
reason ? 

What important post as a poet did Southey hold? When did 
he die? 


Southey’s Works 

What has been the judgment of time as to the comparative 
importance of Southey’s prose and poetical works (p. 13) ? 

What place in literature has the Life of Nelson, and to what 
is this mainly due? How does its place as literature compare 
with its importance as a historical document? 

What was Southey’s literary aim as expressed by himself (p. 
15) ? Does he accomplish it? 


367 


368 


Appendix 


Discuss Southey’s qualifications for writing such a biography 
(pp. 16-17). Can you account for any errors in judgment of 
the author? 

What was Southey’s attitude toward the faults of Nelson? 
Sum up briefly those faults. 

The Life of Nelson 

When and where was Nelson born (p. 25) ? What can you 
say of his family? At what age did he really begin his “career”? 
Discuss his physical fitness for such a career. 

What was his first voyage, and in what frame of mind did he 
return from it (pp. 29-30)? Name the subsequent voyages on 
which he went before his appointment to the Agamemnon. Note 
any indications during this time of the genius that was to 
manifest itself later. 

By what events was Nelson brought into contact with Ameri¬ 
can history (p. 41)? State briefly the main events of the ex¬ 
pedition against the Spanish colony at Fort San Juan (pp. 
44-49) ? 

Make a list of the incidents occurring while Nelson was in 
command of the Albemarle that indicate the character of the man 
(pp. 55-56). 

What characteristic of Nelson did his treatment of the mid¬ 
shipman on the Boreas show (pp. 58-59)? What noteworthy 
events happened during his command of the Boreas (pp. 60-71) ? 
Do these throw any light on his character? 

Note Nelson’s attitude toward his government at the time of 
his release from the Boreas. What were the causes of this feel¬ 
ing? What world event was the cause of his next appointment 
(pp. 78-79)? 

After Nelson’s appointment to the Agamemnon he was or¬ 
dered to Naples, and here he formed a friendship that was prob¬ 
ably the greatest influence during the rest of his life. Make 
notes as you read of the times when this friendship played an 
important part in his actions. 

Discuss the condition of affairs in Corsica when Nelson was 
sent there and tell briefly the events that had led to these con- 


Appendix 


369 


ditions. Give the principal events of Nelson’s operations there. 
^ hat physical injury did he sustain during this campaign (p. 
101 ) ? 

W hat added injury to his feelings came at this time, and what 
was tiie effect on Nelson? In this connection note Southey’s 
interest-inciting method of foreshadowing future events (p. 102). 
Make a list of such passages as you read; several important ones 
have occurred before this. 

What were the chief events of the struggle with the Toulon 
fleet (pp. 104 ff.) ? 

What new title was conferred on Nelson at this time (p. 110), 
and what effect did it have on him? 

W 7 hat duty was assigned to Nelson when he was sent to Genoa 
(p. 112) ? What difficulties were there in the way of his per¬ 
forming this task, and what characteristics did he show in meet¬ 
ing the difficulties? What was the conduct of the Austrian gen¬ 
eral with whom he wa? to cooperate? Note the number of times 
when Nelson was prevented from carrying out plans which his 
superior military skill made him know were necessary for the 
success of his cause. What was the condition of Nelson’s ship, 
the Agamemnon, at the close of the campaign? 

Sir John Jervis had taken command of the Mediterranean fleet 
(p. 122)—what was his attitude toward Nelson? 

How did Nelson come for the first time in opposition to Na¬ 
poleon (p. 125) ? 

Note Nelson’s conduct during the evacuation of Corsica which 
occurred at this time. What phases of his character are brought 
out in Southey’s account (pp. 126 ff.) ? 

Sum up briefly the events of the Battle of Cape St. Vincent 
(pp. 131-140). What title was conferred on Nelson at its close? 

During Nelson’s command of the inner squadron at Cadiz oc¬ 
curred “the most perilous action * * * in which he was 

ever engaged” (p. 141). What light is thrown on the character 
of Nelson by the incident? 

Give the main facts of the expedition against Teneriffe (pp. 
142 ff.). What wound did Nelson sustain in tins engagement^ 
What material for a character sketch do you get from his c 


370 


Appendix 


duct during this expedition? How was lie rewarded by England 
at this time? 

When Nelson returned to the fleet after the illness due to his 
wound, what task was assigned to him? How did this show 
the attitude of the British government toward him (pp. 154-5) ? 

What phase of Nelson’s character was shown by his feeling 
about the storm that disabled his fleet in the Gulf of Lyons? 

What, in Southey’s opinion, would have been the effect on 
later history and on Napoleon’s career had Nelson succeeded in 
meeting Napoleon and his fleet at this time (p. 161) ? 

Give a brief outline of the Battle of the Nile—the pursuit of 
the enemy, the general plan of battle, the main events, and the 
outcome (pp. 164-180). Nelson was again wounded in this 
battle—what trait of his character was manifested by his actions 
at this time? 

Why was Nelson not able to effect a more sweeping victory? 
In what striking words did he express the case (p. 179) ? What 
recognition did Nelson receive for his victory? 

After the battle of the Nile Nelson returned to Naples. What 
kind of welcome did he receive (pp. 190-194) ? 

Explain briefly the condition of the court and the Kingdom 
of Naples at this time. Give the main events of the conquest 
of Naples by the French (pp. 200-208). What phases of the 
character of Lady Hamilton are brought out by her part in 
these events? 

Sum up the account of the expulsion of the French from Naples 
and the Roman states. At this time occurred the event that 
was “the only blot upon [Nelson’s] public character” (p. 215). 
What was it? What is Southey’s attitude toward the matter? 

What was the condition of the court of Naples after the ex¬ 
pulsion of the French? 

When Nelson returned to England he went by way of Ger¬ 
many. What sort of reception did he meet with thete (p. 240) ? 

What important event in the personal life of Nelson occurred 
after his return to England (p. 242)? What new commission 
did Nelson receive when he sought employment again? 

Give the important events leading up to the Battle of Copen¬ 
hagen (pp. 243 ff.). Describe the battle briefly. What do you 



Appendix 


371 


learn of the character of Nelson from this battle and events 
resulting from it? 

After the recall of Sir Hyde Parker and the appointment of 
Nelson as commander-in-chief, what characteristic action did Nel¬ 
son take (p. 284) ? Note the important phases of his character 
that Southey brings out in his account of Nelso'n’s settlement 
of affairs in the Baltic on his return home. 

Sum up briefly the events leading to the peace of Amiens. 
What plans for the rest of his life did Nelson make at this time? 

Shortly after this came the death of Sir William Hamilton. 
Note Sir William’s attitude toward Nelson at this time (pp. 
301-302). 

With the renewal of the war Nelson was put in command in 
the Mediterranean. Make a list of his characteristics as you 
find them in Southey’s account of his various actions and feel¬ 
ings during this time (pp. 302 ff.). 

Note evidences of Southey’s attitude toward America (e. g., p. 
323). 

Sum up events of the “pursuit to which, for its extent, rapid¬ 
ity, and perseverance, no parallel can be produced.” 

In what ways does Southey continue his characterization of 
Nelson after Nelson is appointed to meet the combined fleets? 

Give an account of the Battle of Trafalgar. How effectively 
do you think Southey handles the tragic scene of Nelson’s death? 
What was Nelson’s age at this time? What do you think of 
the last paragraph of the book as a climax? 

Tiie Style of the Work 

Do you find any portions of the book in which the sequence of 
events is not clear? Are dates always indicated clearly enough? 

What do you think of the use of technical language? Is it 
ever too difficult? Always accurate? How do you suppose 
Southey assured himself of the correctness of his nautical lan¬ 
guage? 

Examine the paragraphing. In a number of places the prac¬ 
tice of making a paragraph for every distinct speech is not fol¬ 
lowed (e..g., p. 27 and the death scene). Can you defend such 
paragraphs as units? Are there paragraphs without conversa- 


372 


Appendix / 

tion that lack unity because of too /great length? Be specific. 

Do you find topic sentences used to any marked extent? Give 
some of the best examples you find. What effect has the nature 
of the work on the number and kind of topic sentences? 

What about connective words showing relations between sen¬ 
tences or paragraphs? Are they numerous? Give a number of 

% 

the best examples. 

Is the sentence structure varied? Test it by means of any 
series of sentences, examining their comparative length, their 
structure (simple, complex, etc.), the departures from normal 
order—all devices for variety that you can think of. 

Pick out a number of passages of especially rapid and clear 
narrative; of vivid exposition. 


Appendix 


373 


THEME SUBJECTS 

1. The career of Southey (pp. 5-10). 

2. The life of Nelson “boiled down” for an imaginary ency¬ 
clopedia article limited to 500 words (as a test of the ability 
to select what is most important and condense). 

3. The historical background for Nelson’s career. 

4. A character sketch of Nelson (to be based on his acts and 
on his words as so often quoted by Southey). 

5. Narratives on a larger scale of important distinct events 
in which Nelson had a part, such as the various battles dealt 
with. 

6. A contrast of naval warfare in Nelson’s time and in the 
Great War. 

7. The contrast between the French and the English as 
brought out by Southey, partly on his own account and partly 
by quotations from Nelson. 

8. Why Nelson has been the greatest—or at least the favorite 
—English hero. (Defense or criticism of the popular attitude 
may be made.) 

SELECTIONS FOR CLASS READING 

1. The boy Nelson (pp. 27-29). 

2. Nelson as a young seaman (pp. 38-42). 

3. Nelson and the Americans (pp. 61-67). 

4. Assigned to the Mediterranean (pp. 80-83). 

5. Corsica (pp. 85-92). 

6. Battle with the Toulon fleet (pp. 104-108). 

7. Nelson first encounters Napoleon (pp. 122-126). 

8. The Battle of Cape St. Vincent (pp. 131-140). 

9. Nelson loses an arm (pp. 146-153). 

10. The Battle of the Nile (pp. 168-177). 

11. The Battle of Copenhagen (pp. 250-275). 

12. Nelson and the Hamiltons (pp. 297-302). 

13. The Battle of Trafalgar (pp. 337-340, 342-356). 

14. Final estimate of Nelson (pp. 360-362). 













































































































